Arranging Fate
by TwistedGem
Summary: "I looked at the distance between us. Romeo and Juliet never made it to this part..." When Raven is sent to Gotham, one accidental meeting with Richard Grayson will sent her world spiraling downward as she finds out how forbidden he is to her.
1. Exile

_Exile_

"Raven," my mom said, "Brad's here." I grumbled and then told her I'll be down soon. _Here we go again_, I thought. Another potential arranged marriage. It's crazy to think about how I'm going through this again. I wondered for a moment, what would happen if I just stopped going downstairs? More than likely, my father would just drag me down.

I looked in the mirror at my new Louis Vinton dress as I tried to remember the boy's name. It was ivory and stopped right below my knees. It strapless and it brought out my amethyst eyes and shoulder length purple hair. Surprisingly it also looked well against my pale skin. It was beautiful, something that I actually liked. _Too bad it would do nothing for me tonight_, I thought as I climbed down the stairs. I spotted my parents in the sitting room we never sit in it. They sat in the armchairs. Mom was on the right in a nice Chanel midnight blue gown, and my dad on the left in a black suit.

The perfect image of the modern king and queen.

Across from them were two men. One was older and balding, giving me a cold look. Next to him was a younger man. He had green eyes and blonde hair with a look of easy arrogance. I entered gracefully and faked a smile. Everybody stood and my dad walked to me and kissed both cheeks. He is such a good actor.

"Don't screw this up." he whispered in my ear. I smiled at him. He put his arm around my shoulders.

"Mr. Smith, this is my beautiful daughter, Raven," he said. He motioned to the old man. "Raven, this is one of my partners, Mr. Smith and his son Brad." That's what his name was! So this was one of my father's wealthy colleagues. Always the rich and spoiled. But then again being an heiress to Roth Enterprises and ancient money from Japan, I wasn't anywhere close to broke. And my dad wanted to keep it that way, hence the arrangement.

Brad stepped forward and grabbed my hand. He was shorter than me, which is saying something considering I'm only 5'6" and that's with 3-inch heels. He kissed my hand and smirked at me. I thought I was going to be sick.

"Pleasure is all mines." He said, what I think was suppose to be seductive but came off breathy and creepy.

"Nice to meet you." I said trying to sound relaxed and happy despite the disgust rolling inside me. My mom looked happy but I could tell she was really nervous as he eyes darted between Brad and me. She knew I didn't like him and was anxious about my reaction. While my father talked to Mr. Smith, mom came over to me and whispered, "Should I be worried?" I shook my head.

"It shouldn't be too messy."

She sighed and whispered "Don't be too dramatic,_ please._" I nodded.

An hour later I was still sitting on the couch in the sitting room. My father and Mr. Smith talking. My father had so far said I am very social (lie), debate team (lie), and am delighted to be marrying Brad (…are you KIDDING ME?)

"So when should they get married?" Mr. Smith said.

"That depends. Do I have your consent?" my father asked. Uh-oh. Mr. Smith nodded.

"Yes, you have my consent." No! My father smiled and thanked him. My mom face fell but she quickly recovered. My eyes went wide but somehow forced a smiled. I had to get him to change their mind before they left.

Brad who was on the opposite side of the couch was now next to me. He leaned on me and said "So were getting married." I stood up about to yell at him but then thought of a better idea.

"I'm thirsty. Want me to get you a drink Brad?"

My father narrowed his eyes at me before quickly stated, "Nonsense, Raven. Glenda can get us something to drink." Oh no, dad. Not this time.

"I don't mind. Beside Glenda's probably busy with dessert. Do you want something Brad?" Dad sensed the danger of the situation but couldn't do anything. He was a sitting duck.

"Sure babe. Make sure it's cold." I wanted to slap that smirk off so bad but restrained. I walked out before anyone could stop me. I walked into the kitchen and Glenda was baking cookies.

"Hey Glen." I said. Glenda was our maid since I was 8. She knew me better than anybody else and often encouraged my small acts of rebellion. Though not the best role model, she is a nice relief in my life.

"How's my little Raven?" She asked with a knowing smile. I rolled my eyes.

"You got any drinks that stain?" She smiled and pulled out a coke and a sprite for me. "I mixed a little beer in that coke so it'll never come out. And here's a little something for you after. I know it's your favorite."

"Only after tea. Thanks Glen."

"Make sure you get him good. And I'm sure I'll find a way to make sure your dad won't kill you." I laughed and grabbed the coke bottle. I walked back to the sitting room. The adults were too busy talking to notice me enter. I untwisted the top of the bottle and approached Brad From behind. SPLASH! The coke was instantly on Brad. The adults all had a look of shock on there face as I poured the rest of the drink on him.

"Oops, sorry." I said not sounding sorry at all. "I hope it was cold enough _babe._" Brad stood up. He was furious and turning red.

"Look at what you did? My clothes are now ruined and I smell like beer!" he yelled. I looked at my parents. My father shook his head._ You wouldn't dare,_ he told me with his eyes. I nodded._ I would, _I sent back with a quick smirk before giving Brad an

"Oh that was one with beer. I was going to drink that after you left." Mr. Smith was bewildered.

"You let you daughter drink?" Dad shook his head vigorously.

"No Mr. Smith-"

"Don't worry, Brad," I continued, "I'm sure you'll get over it one day. Maybe by then you'll actually have the advantage of being good looking."

"Excuse Me?" He said

"You're slow too? Your dad must spend a lot of time at his job. Those extra tutors must be cashing in." I said nonchalantly.

"I will _not_ have this disrespect towards my son! Come along Brad." Mr. Smith commanded. Brad glared at me. I smiled evilly back. My first real smile all night. My dad, desperate to save the engagement, started to go after them.

"If it was not obvious, Mr. Roth. The engagement is OFF! Good luck marrying her off!" Mr. Smith and Brad left for good. My dad turned to me. He was furious and was turning redder by the minute.

"Bye." I said before I ran to the kitchen.

"RAVEN!" dad bellowed.

I didn't hear him come after me. Glenda was standing in the kitchen with the sprite in her hand.

"Thanks Glen." I said before grabbing the bottle and running to my room. Once I was safely in there with the door locked I collapsed on my bed. I then turned on my TV and watched the security tapes of my mom and dad. "So what's my punishment this time, daddy dearest?"

I sat on my bed watching my dad argued with mom.

"Boot Camp!" he shouted. Mom rolled her eyes.

"No. She's too old."

"Boarding school in Switzerland."

"For one Semester?"

"How about Nor-"

"No!" mom shouted. Dad put his hands over his face. He sighed. Glenda entered and brought chocolate chip cookies. She sat down and watched the argument with me. "What going on?" I grabbed a cookie.

"Trying to see which punishment I should I get this time. Dad even suggested Switzerland!" Glenda chuckled and continued to watch.

"Arella, she's never going to learn if she stays her. This is our only choice." Mom looked down and moved away from dad.

"I don't want her to end up in the same situation as you. You know how she is. She'll look for revenge if we do this to her. Don't do this."

My mom begged him. Dad moved closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, making her look up.

"This is the only way. Raven is smart. She wouldn't do that." He said reassuringly. Mom sighed.

"I know. She's very smart, Trent, but...what if that happens? I can't lose her, not like that." She said softly. He smiled regretfully and pulled her close, stroking her hair.

"I know. I know." He told her. They stayed like that for a while. I turned to see Glenda her eyes wide with realization.

"What are they talking about?" I asked her.

"You are in some real trouble now." She said softly.

"What?" I heard footsteps "They're coming." I hurried and cut off the tapes and made it look like I know anything. Glenda shook her head and left.

"Don't forget to hide the Sprite." She called to me as she left. I hurried to put the bottle in the mini fridge. The last time they found vodka in my room I was sent to Europe for school. Literally. A few moments later mom knocked on the door.

"Raven, open the door." she said. I sighed and opened the door. She had a pensive look on her face and I moved to the side so she could come in. We walked in to my own sitting room. It was similar to the one on the first floor. Mom sat across from me. She had to the same look she always had when she gave me my punishment, stern and a bit nervous about my reaction.

She sighed. "Raven-"

"No." I interrupted her, "I told you once, twice, and now were at the seventh time. I'm not getting married to what Dad thinks I should be married. I want to be married on my own time with who I want. Dad's standards are the rich and spoiled. Mine are much higher." Mom put her face in her hands and groaned.

"Raven,"-sigh-"I'm not going to say what you want isn't right. But what you did was complete wrong. You cannot keep embarrassing this family like that. Your father's business is going to now suffer-"

"Good. I hope it crashes and burns."

"Raven!" she exclaimed, "don't talk like that. Your dad has worked hard for what he has and you know it." She took a deep breath to calm down. "Now your punishment is that you'll be living with your Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike for a while...in Gotham."

My eyes went wide with realization. Gotham; as in Gotham City, New York. _They're getting rid of me!_ I stood up furious.

"DAD!" I yelled. I ran out of my room to my dad's office. He was working on some case. I charged over there and yelled "You're getting rid of me!" He stood.

"Now Raven," he said, "it's only for the rest of school year. Think of it as a long-term vacation." I was furious when he said that. I swept everything off his desk and it came crashing to the floor. He looked at his work and was getting mad quick. The golden rule around here was no matter what, never touch dad's work.

"YOU'RE SHIPPING ME OFF AGAIN!" I bellowed. My dad looked behind me with a shake of his head and snapped. I felt someone grab my arms pin them behind my back. I looked to the security guards. They put me on the desk and asked my dad what to do.

"Just put her in her study. She should be content there until her flight." he told them. It took a guard on each of my arms to get me out. I pulled and tucked as hard I could, escaped a couple of times only to be once again pulled, more like dragged, to my study on the third floor. All the while, I yelling and cursing out my father.

After ten minutes or so of struggling, the guard finally shoved me into the only room with a plain wooden door. They slammed it close after me and locked it. I banged uselessly on the door, screaming until I was horse, clawing at it, but I knew it was only the frustration. The door only opened from the outside. The "study," as it was often referred to was really my fancy prison. My dad is that controlling. I once spent two weeks in here. The inside had a desk, 3 leather armchairs, a window seat, and a wall of books. It was to high the ground for me to climb out and the only exit was the wooden door.

There was also a TV disguised as a mirror. I was lucky I got that in here without dad knowing it was a TV. I sat in the chair behind the desk. I was there only there for a few minutes before Glenda came in. She shook her head in disappointment. She hated it when I was stuck in here.

"You just had to storm into his office huh." Glenda said sounding more like my mom then the maid. She knew I wouldn't resist her like my parents. She knew I respected her more then I respected them. I looked down to avoid her glare. "No you look at me!" She said as she grabbed my chin so I could see her face. It was the look that's been on everyone's face. Pure fury. "You shouldn't have fought your father." I opened my mouth to speak but she stopped me.

"Don't speak. You said enough for everyone tonight." She sighed and rubbed her tried face. "Your flight is in two days. Try and get some sleep tomorrow night. You're going to need this," she placed down the unfinished plate of cookies and my spiked sprite, "Goodnight." She left before I could say any think else. I sat in a deafen silence and closed my eyes before getting up and turning on the TV. And the biggest picture was of my dad's office. He sat back papers picked up and organized once again.

"That went well." he said with a smile. Mom on the other hand was displeased with him. "She'll come around," he said to her, "she always does."

"I told you I hate having her locked in that room. This is not a prison camp for her. This is her home." My mom argued.

"And the sooner she starts respecting it as such, the sooner I'll stop locking her up." My mom scoffed at his words before stalking out the room, upset at her husband once more. I cut it off. My head was swirling with so much rage that I knocked down the bookshelf and started to throw books at the door until I got tired. I went to the window seat and fell into a troubled sleep. _He's getting rid of me...again._

I woke to a book colliding with the desk. I wiped my eyes and looked up to see my dad. He was smiling at me.

"Good morning, Princess." He said sweetly to me. Today was the day I leave my California house (it was never really a home) to go to Gotham. My father was especially happy. For he no longer had to deal with me the rest of my high school life.

"I hate when you call me princess." I told me. He just shrugged.

"You are basically royalty." I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, Raven, don't be-"

"Don't be like what?" I yelled at him. "Pissed off that you have to hide behind those guards because you're a coward? I still can't believe mom don't divorce you yet." He just stood there unaffected by what I said. I got up and went to the door. "Let me out!" I demanded. The guard opened the door and looked at my dad for permission. He rolled his eyes and nodded.

Downstairs my suitcases were packed and ready. Glenda and Mom were down there. I walked straight to Glenda and gave her a hug.

"Bye Glen. I'll miss you." I told her. She hugged me back.

"Be safe." She whispered. I pulled away and smiled. I walked out to my car. It was a raven black Ferrari (F430 Spider to be exact). You be surprised how easy it was to steal this. My dad thought I bought it with my birthday money. That $300,000 was used for more important things. My mom and dad went to there Bentley Continental GT. I looked at the mansion one last time before starting my car and pulling off towards the airport.

7 hours later I was sitting in an airport waiting for Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann. Uncle Mike is dad's older brother (it's always the brother). He's not rich like us though. He's a boxing coach and co-owns a gym with my aunt. It wasn't big or fancy but it was nice. They were good people, my aunt and uncle, with a son and twin girls. I have only visited Uncle Mike a few times and only for a few days on occasional spring breaks.

"Raven!" someone with a low voice shouted. I turned to see Uncle Mike standing not too far away waiting. He smiled when I spotted him. I stood up with my bags and walked over to him. He gave me a hug and smiled at me. "Well, well, well," he said, "Look at you, all grown up." He wrapped his arm around me. It was different from when my dad does it. It was welcoming and safe. I couldn't help but smile a bit. Uncle Mike led me to his Buick.

"I know it's not a Lamborghini or anything but it's good to me." He said. I nodded as I got in, already missing my car. I wonder if mom would convince my father to ship it or if keeping it in California was his punishment for me.

"So how's my little brother nowadays?" I was suddenly flared up with rage.

"Greedy, power hungry, selfish-"

"Whoa, Raven." he said, "calm down. He's not that bad."

"You don't live with him."

"I used to." I rolled my eyes. "Hey. None of that." he said, "I don't know how my brother runs things in California but it doesn't work like that here." He looked at my face before continuing. "Your new school is Northside. It's a good school but only if you stay out of the wrong crowd. You start Monday." I sighed looking away. Through out the ride he told me his rules and expectation along with how excited Aunt Ann was at my arrival.

We eventually stopped at a one-story white house. It was the same as I remember, modern but cozy. The living was an array off whites and browns. I smelled gumbo in the kitchen and went to the kitchen while Uncle Mike dragged my luggage in to the house. Aunt Ann was standing over the gumbo stirring it. She looked my way and smiled at me.

"Hey Rae Rae." She said using my baby nickname. I groaned.

"Come on Aunnie you know I hate that name." She chuckled. I never called her Auntie or Aunt Ann. It was always Aunnie. She hugged me and I could feel her laughing at me. "Hey where's Justin?" I asked. She gave me her do-you-even-have to-ask look. I nodded and went to one of the bedrooms down the hall. I opened the first and saw my 10-year-old cousin playing Halo 3.

"Oh." I said, "This is the kind of welcome I get, Justin, thanks a lot." He turned and ran to me.

"Hey Raven." Justin was like my little brother. We grew surprisingly close even though I never stayed long. Sometimes we would call or email each other during the holidays or when something crazy happened. And out of everybody, I usually missed him the most.

"I heard your staying for the rest of the school year. What'd you do?" I laughed a little bit and sat down on his bed. He followed eager to hear why I was staying so long.

"Well I'm getting a new record. I ruined another engagement. This is number 7."

"Nice." He said. We talked for a while until it dinnertime, him filling my in on what's happened with him and me telling him about the newest cars I got and California.

At the dinner table was where I saw the baby twins for the first time. (My father wouldn't let me visit after they were first born, despite my pleading.) They're names were Vanessa and Denise. Denise was louder and dramatic while Vanessa was quiet and cooperative.

We talked about everything except my punishment. My traveling seemed to always lead back to my father, which was a sore spot for Uncle Mike. He loved my father but always had questioned his decisions.

I zoned out of the conversation halfway through, wrapped up in my thoughts. Tomorrow I would get the real Gotham and I knew it wouldn't be pretty. Gotham wasn't exactly the nicest neighborhood. There were nice parts but the bad parts of town outnumbered them. I was tried by the thought of being here for the months to come.

"Raven, you alright?" Uncle Mike asked.

"I'm fine." I lied. Just_ perfect_.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. I looked around my new bedroom. It had royal blue walls, a queen size bed, a bedside table, and a dresser. I took off the covers and sat there for a while. I remember my father gently waking me up. His smile would make me feel on top of the world. I shook my head to get rid of the thought.

_Stop It!_ I thought _He's changed for good._ I sighed, thinking of how, at one time, my father meant the world to me…and how has changed since.

I changed out of my pajamas in to a gray sweater, black jeans, and my Timberlands. I tiptoed to the front door and grabbed my jacket and sunglasses. I didn't bring my cell phone just in case Uncle Mike called me. I just wanted to be alone today.

I wrote a note and left on the counter.

_Hey Uncle Mike, went to town. Be back before curfew._

_-Raven_

I climbed down the driveway and out in to the cold city. Uncle Mike and Aunnie lived near the Eastern seaboard. Their house was 15 minutes from Gotham City. I decided that would be my first stop.

Gotham City was noisy and busy. I arrived at the city an hour ago and wasn't surprised at all. It was everything I thought it would be; gray and dirty. Once you passed a certain part it all a desolated, crime-ridden city. I sighed, shaking my head as I entered the nearest Starbucks. It was crowed with people trying to get their morning coffee so they could start their day. I stayed silent as the line inched forward until I got to the counter. The cashier pursed her lips as soon as she saw me, most of her weight shifting to her hips with her hand.

"What would you like?" she asked trying to keep the attitude out of her voice but still having an edge in it.

"Green tea, please." I said, excusing her tone. She was probably tried and was having a bad day. _I know I would if I worked here_, I thought as I paid and stepped aside for the next customer.

That's when I felt someone's eyes on me. But when I turned around, no one was there. I looked out the window, thinking that maybe it was someone from outside. Still no one.

"Miss." I turned and saw the cashier. She was holding my drink. I took it with a mumbled thank you. I sat down next to the window.

The back of my neck tingled s I felt the person staring at me. Agitated, I turned sharply to look out the window. Across the street, there was a boy staring at me. He was really…cute and that's a word I rarely ever use. Even though he was across the street I could tell he had blue eyes. He was muscular but not too muscular like a track athlete. His hair was naturally spiky. He wore a leather jacket with boots, almost seeming to scream rebel. When he saw me starring back at him, he smiled. I think I felt my heart skip a beat and it felt as though time stopped.

I couldn't look away from him. It was too impossible. Everything disappeared when he looked at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I forgot where I was or how long we were starring at each other. I just knew that for that moment, it was only…us.

Then, literally, with a blink of an eye he was gone.

I blinked twice as I focused back on the sidewalk. I stood up and walked outside, crossing the street. I looked up and down for a sign of him. But whoever he was, he was gone.

The next few hours I walked around the rest of Gotham, trying to remember the moment but eventually got tired of the city. When I looked up, the sky was darkening. I sighed, knowing there was nowhere else I felt like going today, and flagged down a taxi.

"Where to?" the driver asked. I gave him the street near my new "home". As he drove, I couldn't help but contemplate what happened earlier. What did happen? How…how did that stranger make me feel like that? What it even real? Or just something strange daydream? I shook my head to clear it. Whatever it was-real or my imagination-it was over now and I strongly doubt it would happen again.

I walked up the driveway to the house and checked the time. 9:17. I opened the door and was immediately greeted by Uncle Mike's yelling.

"WHERE WERE YOU?" I didn't shake me one bit as I closed the door behind me. I was use to getting yelled at. It happened every day I was in California.

"I told you where I was going." I told him.

"Oh, your note, right. Let's look at that." He strolled to the counter and read the note I left, 'Hey Uncle Mike, went to town. Be back before curfew.'" he slammed the note on the counter. "That was not telling me where you were! That was saying you didn't care whether or not we didn't know where you were! You didn't even bring your phone-"

"I forgot."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Look Uncle Mike I didn't mean to worry you, okay? I just wanted to see Gotham. Nothing happened to me. I'm fine." He sighed and sat down, trying to calm down.

"You missed dinner. It's in the fridge. Be in bed by ten since it's a school night. Goodnight, Raven." He kissed my forehead and went to bed. On his way there, he turned back to me. "By the way there's something in the garage for you." I nodded and he retreated to his room. I went to the kitchen and sighed. Only here for a day and I'm already on Uncle Mike's bad side.

I walked to the garage and my jaw dropped as I saw my Ferrari where Uncle Mike's Buick usually was. I touched the smooth surface, comforted by it's familiarity before spotting the note on the inside. I opened the door, pulling it out. I read it quickly and crushed it in my fist, rage quickly consuming my. I slammed my fist on the car's hood before sliding down to the floor and stayed like that repeating the note in my head.

_Hello Raven. Hope your first days in Gotham are good. Raven I just found out your time there might be prolonged. Sorry. Call us tomorrow._

_-Dad_


	2. North Angel

_North Angels_

Beep! I woke up to my new alarm clock. Its official, I hated Gotham. I wiped my eyes and looked at the clock. 6:00 AM. I groaned. It wasn't like I stayed in bed 'til noon but come on! I slapped my hand down on the snooze button and tried to drift back to sleep. Right when I was on the edge of sleep there was banging at my bedroom door.

"Raven, wake up!" my aunt yelled. I grunted in response. I smiled to myself as she tried to open lock the door. Then I felt light in my eyes. "You didn't think just because you lock the door I won't in." Aunnie said smugly, "Now get up." She left as I sighed and got in a sitting position. I clumsily walked to my dresser to get my outfit. I choose a simple white sweater with black skinny jeans and my Signature boots. My Signature boots were custom made with a smoke like design with my initials, RRR, cleverly hidden in the pattern. In the two years I had them they were the best and longest owned pair of shoes in my whole closet.

I was down stairs in fifteen minutes. I heard Aunnie waking up Justin. I shook my head and made myself an omelet. Justin walked down stairs looking like a zombie half an hour later. I laughed at him and set down an omelet in front of him. He immediately woke up a little more. Omelets were one of his favorite breakfast foods.

Aunnie and Uncle Mike walked down stairs looking fully awake. "Good Morning." Uncle Mike said to us. Justin rolled his eyes. "Dad I know you have to be at the gym early but why do I-" I cleared my throat. "I mean we," he corrected, "have to wake so early."

"Because if I didn't then you would be harder to wake up. Thus, making me and you late." he explained.

"Come on Uncle Mike," I said, "I'm 17. I know when and how to wake myself."

"That reminds me. What did you do so much that my brother would send you here for so long?" I glared at him. I could practically feel my eyes burning him. Justin shuddered at my glare. Uncle Mike, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed. He knew why I was here but wanted to frustrate me. And it worked.

"This is your punishment." he continued, "And intend to keep it that way. Plus you owe me for yesterday." He went to make his coffee.

"How shall I repay you O' great sire?" I said sarcastically.

"Oh just meet me at the gym after school." he said with his smug smile. I turn to the clock to hide my enraged expression. Although I made it obvious that I was mad when my nails screeched as I dragged my nails across the counter.

It was 7:15. "You better get going Rae." I took a deep breath and pushed away from the counter. I bumped in to Uncle Mike on purpose hoping he would get mad. "Bye Raven!" Aunnie said but I didn't turn to acknowledge her. As I walked to my car I heard Jus say "That was cold, dad."

I opened my door and drove speedily out the garage. Thank God the garage door was open. I was doing 50 mph(in the 30 mph zone) until I got to the first red light. I took a breath.

Why did my dad's side of the family have to be so harsh? Sure Uncle Mike was better then Dad. But only to a certain degree. The light turned green and I slowed to a normal speed.

Northside was a shady yet high class school. It consisted of about two thousand students. I was there before the bell rang but plenty of people were still outside recapping there winter break. A lot people stopped and stared as I parked. I got out and guys stared at me up and down. Girls looked at me with jealousy as they tried to get there boyfriend's attention. I smirked at one of the girls.

As I approached the steps there were a lot of people in black. I walked straight through like their stares didn't bother me. It was strange. They weren't looks of jealousy or lust. It was look of finding new prey. I speed up a little to the front office.

I walked in and the secretary looked up and smiled. "Hi, how may I help you?" She seemed nice. She was short and bigger than average but pretty. "I'm new here and need my schedule and stuff."

"Okay. Name please."

"Raven Roth." She started looking in a file cabinet. She lifted one file out. She smiled at me and wishes me good luck. I walked out to my homeroom. I looked at the map to memorize it. I felt more and more gazes on my back. They weren't like the street guy's gaze. Oops.

I mentally slapped myself. Yesterday I promised myself I wouldn't think again. Although he was so cute and he had a perfect smile..._Stop thinking of him_, I screamed at myself. I wasn't paying attention to anyone so I bumped in to a girl knocking all my stuff to the ground.

"Oh, I'm Sorry." I told her. I looked up and saw a look that was calm but, surprisingly, intimidating. She was as tall as me with a slim figure.

"Its okay." she said while picking up the file I got from the secretary. She stood up and like the others on the steps she was wearing all black which looked good with her complexion which was as pale as mine. Her hair, though was pink, but it looked against her intimidating features.

She started to walk away when she turned and said "By the way, room 217 is on your left." I looked to my left and there was my homeroom. Room 217. I walked in not bothering to see if the girl was there or not. She probably wasn't.

As I sat down near the back of the class, I couldn't shake the weird feeling that there was something off about that girl. She held an wise and knowing air about her. Like she knew I would crash into her. I looked around the class and saw two sides. One with normal teens talking and laughing about winter break. The other side had kids in all black, like the girl and the people outside. They probably part of some click.

They keep looking at me with strange looks. There was something off about them too. There weren't two sides. More of a barrier they created around them. One girl, an European girl with flaming red hair, looked up to me and winked. I knew at that moment I would need that good luck.

Eventually the gazes minimized...but 10 percent. I was practically running for the exit by the end of the day. I hurried to my locker, not caring if I looked like an idiot at that moment. I threw my books in there and took my book bag out (thank God the teachers didn't give any homework today). I was in such a rush that I _almost _missed the piece of paper that fell to the ground. I picked it up and opened it. It was a note.

_Welcome to Northside. Hope your first regular day was good. We'll see you soon. _

_- North Angels_

_p.s. Enjoy a normal life while you can!_

What?! Who would put this in my locker? Is someone trying to scare me or something? I crumpled it up and threw it on the ground like the thrash it was. I walked slower as I lost my bravado with the secret note. I walked to my car and got in and drove to the gym where I had to carry out my punishment. I was just about to get out when I heard something ringing. I closed the door and listened. It sounded close by.

I followed the sound with my body and found out it was coming from the glove compartment. I opened it to find it was a cell phone. More specifically the new LG Xenon. The caller I.D. said a California phone number. Dad. I thought about not answering it but decided against it (really stupid move). "Hello?" I said without any emotion in my voice.

"Hi princess." Dad replied. I rolled my eyes.

"You know I hate it when you call me that." I said sounding slightly irritated.

"I can see why you don't like the truth." he said. I narrowed my eyes at him even though I couldn't see him. "So how long would it take you to return my call?"

"I didn't think I get phone calls in prison." I replied. "And really how many people do you know would call to know how the extension in their sentence?"

"Well not many." he chuckled. I had to stop myself from laughing with him. "Anyway, your so called 'sentence' is now moved from the end of the school year to the week before you start college." I gapped before I regained my composure.

"Why thank you dad. You showed me how much of a jack-"

"Don't finish that sentence!"

"Why not?!"

"Because-" he broke off and took a breath to clear his head. "I'm not going to sit here and argue with you Raven. You going to stay in Gotham until _I_ say come back."

"And if I don't want to follow your rules?"

"You act like I can't think of something worst for you." He hung up before I could say anything back. I screamed in frustration. I waited until I calmed down enough to not start a fight with someone I don't know in the gym. I sighed and got out.

I've never been to the gym before so I expected anything. It wasn't as grimy as I thought it would be. It looked sleek and professional. I looked around for Uncle Mike and found his coaching a well muscled guy. He looked like he played football. "Good swing. Hold up on your defense." he shouted. I waited for him to be done, while I cooled down from the car situation. "Good job today, Vic. We'll pick up tomorrow." He told him, Victor I'm guessing.

"Bye Coach." he said walking away. Uncle Mike finally looked in my direction.

"There you are." He walked over to me. Then he slowed down taking in my expression. "Something happen?" he asked softer in concern. I turned my head.

"So what am I doing? Paperwork?" I said with an edge in my voice.

"Um, no." he said careful not to provoke me, "You going to train today." I looked back at him.

"Like training, as in boxing?"

"That's right." he walked over to a bench and pick up a pile of clothes and a pair of shoes. "Get dressed and be out in 5 or you get laps." I didn't care what he said and grabbed the clothes and walked to the dressing room. I was so pissed I didn't know how long I took but obviously it was pretty fast since I didn't have to do any laps.

"Well you clean up fast." Uncle Mike handed me glove and headed to the center ring. Great. I would be the center of everything. "Okay. Let's start with basics." He showed me the basic moves of boxing. I learned them quickly, ready to go home and throw something. I was working on the punching gloves when he was really starting to push me.

"Come on, Raven, harder!" he yelled at me. I hit the bag harder. "Harder!" he yelled again. I was getting seriously pissed. I punched harder this time. "Harder!" Unlike most people I focused better when I was mad. So this time, I punched the hit would be the most painful to him. Too bad he moved at the last second. I throw down the gloves and marched to his face. "Hard enough?"

I walked out of the gym. I stormed to my car. I drove out to the house. Nobody was home at the moment. I walked around the house to cool off. I was bound to get in more trouble after that stunt. What would he make me do? Laps? Definitely more time with the punching bag. I kept walking thinking of more punishments. After a while I looked up to see where I was. I was in the forest near the house.

I could kind of see the house. I looked around. It wasn't thick. The sun would still be up for about another hour and a half. I sat down, my back on a tree trunk. I closed my eyes and tried not to think. What ended up happening was that I thought of the guy again.

Who was he? Why did I react like that? I opened my eyes and looked around. I spotted something white. I turned towards it. It was something white, a white T-shirt to be exact. And it belonged on the body of who was thinking about.

I blinked. He was still there. He was perched on a branch about 10 yards away from me. And he was staring. At me. I tried to move but couldn't. So he did. He jumped down and walked towards me. I got up mechanically and walked towards him. I couldn't control my body but it kept walking to him. I finally got hold of myself and stopped. What am I doing? I looked at what I was wearing. I was still in the boxing uniform. I looked back at me while coming closer. I should be running or at least getting ready to fight. Instead I'm standing here like an idiot.

Then he was right in front of me. We stayed like that for a while. His was a spiky mess. I looked in his eyes. There were interesting how they somehow the brown blended into the blue ring. He was taller than me by a few inches. There was only a foot of distance between us.

I had a death grip on the tree near me trying not to close the distance. After a while he closed it himself. He touches my face barely. But it still tingled when after he touched it. I guess my instincts kicked in because I ran. I didn't stop until I was at the house. I was now dark outside. And Uncle Mike was now home.

I walked in and saw Uncle Mike in the living room. He was watching a football game. I walked up behind him. "I'm home." I said to him. He looked up at me and nodded. He looked tired; too tired to give me a punishment. For now. "Go wash up." he told me, "Dinner will be done soon."

I've been to many schools to know the new kid procedure. There fascinated the first day. Then after a week they start losing interest. After a month you're not new and you can be a normal student. That doesn't apply at Northside. Every day for a week the day was same as the first. The only difference was the teachers started having normal curiosity about me.

I was already top of the class (being sent all over the world for an education helps a lot!). There notes were also consent. I kept getting notes from the same people with the same hand writing and the same people. The Northside students. That included messages like _the time is coming, were close, _and the infamous ending _enjoy a normal life while you can._ I was getting really annoyed with these notes that I was relieved when I got a different type of note.

_Getting tired of being lead around. Wanna meet us? 6 p.m. Northington House. We'll be there._

_- Northside_

Hmmm...Should I go? I am getting tried of this stupid game. I can take care of myself if anything happens. I saved the note in my purse. I walked in to my next class waiting to the end of the day.

The Northington House looked older then I thought it would be. It was an old Victorian house with the ivy and everything. It was kind of creepy. I walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. No answer. I waited for a little longer. After 10 minutes of waiting (I'm surprised I even waited that long) I walked around back. That's when I was pushed to the ground.

I looked up and saw the European girl that winked at me that first day look down at me. She was smirking.

"Come on, Newbie. Get up." I did. She started throwing punches. I dodged them. Her moves seemed to be controlled. Like she knew what I was going to do. She stopped trying to punch me and started with martial arts. She was good, black belt obviously. But so am I.

I went into complicated moves trying to find a weak spot. She tried keeping up but was failing. As soon as she left an opening, I kicked her arms aside and punched. She fell to the ground on impact. Score one for me.

She got up and was not really hurt. The side of her mouth was starting to swell up but that's it.

"Nice punch." she said, not even caring I beat her at her own game, "Right Jinx!" she yelled. I followed her gaze. On the balcony on the second floor of the house were more people in black. But in the middle was the same girl that I bumped into that first day.

"You know the code Kori!" the girl, Jinx, said. Kori rolled her eyes and yelled back "Sorry Queen Bee." Jinx, who was sitting on the rail, jumped from the balcony and to the ground. It was rather gracefully and she wasn't harmed. She walked up to me and Kori. The height difference was comical.

"It better not happen again." she told her. She then turned to me. "You came."

"Well, I was getting tired of your little games." I told her. It was surprisingly easy to be around her.

"Well let's go inside and we'll explain everything about our 'little games'. Come on, Kori." Kori followed her. I looked up to the people on the balcony watching. I nodded to them and followed Jinx inside.

"You're gang bangers." I stated when I entered Jinx's office. The office looked like my study. Only with a bigger window. She simply laughed at the statement and sat down.

"Well yes, but we look at ourselves as protectors. We protect the north side of town."

"And the other gang work with you?" She smiled slyly at my statement.

"Not exactly." Kori dropped a white card on Jinx's desk. It had only black words. No design. _Shootout! _It said with an address under it. "You have a choice. You walk out here and everything will be normal for you. But," she slid the card closer to me, "if you take this then you'll be one of us. Possibly."

The easy and right choice would to be to walk out (rather dramatically) and go home. But why do that? Why do the right thing and still be punished, when I can ruin the life of the people who ruined mine? The choice was simple. I picked up the card. Jinx smiled.

"Meet us at midnight." She gave me the directions and then it was my turn to smile. I knew my exile would much more interesting this way. It might even be fun. I then turned and my dramatic exit.

Raven exited the room and Jinx sat back down with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"I don't know about her." Kori told her. "She's a little too shady."

"That's because it runs in her family." Jinx dropped Raven's school record on her desk. Another member, Sting, picked up the folder and flipped through it. She was surprised who Raven's parents were.

"Her parents are King and Haven?! Queen Bee-"

"Relax Sting," Jinx reassured her, "Thanks to Blackfire she doesn't even know about her parents' history."

"So she doesn't know what her parents did?"

"I just said that." Jinx pointed out.

"Talk about stupid." Kori said, "Why would her parents send her here if they didn't want her to know about us?"

Sienna's smirk became a full evil smile. "Because they didn't think she would be that stupid." She looked at a picture if Raven and her parents. There were no smiles, only regal expressions.

There were all dressed in clothes that would at least cost $5,000 each. Raven and Haven both draped in fine jewels while King only had a 15 carat diamond ring.

One thing showed through out there poses and expressions. Power and money.

"But they obviously don't know how much of a great asset she can be to us."


	3. Meetings

_Meetings_

Shootout wasn't what I thought it would be. It put the police's practice area to shame. This place had state of the art...everything. I walked up to the door where a man with a massive build was sitting on a stool. I approached him quietly. He didn't even notice me until I tapped him on his shoulder.

He gazed me before asking for my name. I told him and he let me in. The inside walls were steel and gunshots echoed throughout the hallway. At the end was Jinx with headphones around her neck.

"Right on time." she noted looking at her watch. I already knew it was exactly midnight. She tossed me a pair of head phones and then made her way through the building. I followed.

We entered the main room. Members lined the walls. Each station was occupied except one. "You know how to shoot?" I shook my head at the question.

"Never needed to." I told her. She shrugged not really bothered by the answer.

"Flash," she called, "help out the newbie." A guy dressed in all black walked up to us. He was handsome with slightly tan skin, deep brown eyes, red hair. He had a distinctive tattoo of a crown on his neck.

"Sure." he said flashing a smile at Jinx. She nodded and discreetly touched his hand while she walked to the empty station. He turned to me. "Come on." He walked to an empty station near the back.

He showed me how to shot. I was soon shooting nearly perfect rounds after an hour. He commented on my quick progress. "Queen Bee is bound to be impressed by you."

"Why is everyone trying to please her?" Flash laughed at confusion.

"She's the leader." he told as if it was obvious. And it was.

"Oh," I responded, "it just-"  
"You expected the leader to be a guy." I nodded. "Well Queen Bee isn't exactly what you expect." He had a point.

The next day went by the same. As if yesterday's meeting didn't happen. I didn't mind though. It gave me time to sort through my thoughts. And I'd have even more since my uncle took my car keys this morning.

"What?!" I yelled when he told me.

"You heard me." he stated calmly. "And it's the perfect warm-up before you meet me at the gym."

"But how am going to get to school?"

"Walk. Run. Jog."  
"But-"

"No buts," he cut me off. Then he calmly walked out leaving me fuming. Again.

So now I'm walking to the gym, which is a good two miles, in my Signature boots still fuming with anger. Then I heard someone whistle. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

"Hey beautiful." called a familiar voice. I stopped and turn to see who called me. Sitting lazily on a bench across the street was the boy. He smirked and crossed the street. I made sure there were a few feet between us. "It's Raven, not beautiful." I told him tired of the game we were playing. He smiled a bit.

"Wow, didn't even have to ask for a name." I rolled my eyes. He moved a little closer. "I'm sure you remember me." I pretended to not know what he was talking about.

"No, not really." He started to close the gap between us until he was about 2 feet away from me.

"Come on," I rolled my eyes again but didn't attempt to move away. "I remember you."

"You do." I said. It can out as a statement than a question.

"Yeah you're the girl from Starbucks that one day with the nice smile." I smiled without showing my teeth.

"You remembered." He moved until there were only a couple of inches in between us. I tensed up. Then he smiled the same way he did that first day, relaxing my muscles. It was completely hypnotizing.

He softly stroked my face. My skin tingled where he touched me sending shivers up and down my spine. Good or bad I don't know. I closed my eyes. "I'm Richard." he said softly to me. His voice created a barrier where no one come in or break it.

But the moment was soon ruined by the sound of a car screeching on the road. I opened my eyes and saw the car quickly about to jump the curb. I moved out the way just in time. We broke contact and reality came rushing back to me. I looked at the drive and saw the second to last person I wanted to see at the moment.

Jinx quickly looked at me before quickly glaring at Richard. She got out and walked over to us looking furious. "Raven get in the car."

"Excuse m-" She a glare so cold I had to fight the shiver ran up my spine.

"I said, get in the car." She said through clenched teeth. This time I didn't object. I got in the passengers seat and looked at the scene in front of me.  
"So you guys still like preying on newbie's, Robin. Pitiful." spat Jinx. Richard quickly lost his smile and quickly smirked at her.

"Naw, JJ," she grimaced at the nickname, "Just talking to people." He winked at me discreetly making sure Jinx didn't notice. I smiled a little bit but stopped when Raven looked at me.

"Stay away from her." she warned. Richard held his hands up in surrender still smirking. He started to walk away but turned back to her.

"Oh, by the way JJ," he called, "Bre says Terra's having a good time." He walked away after the announcement without looking back. Jinx came back to the car and gripped the steering wheel tighter than needed. She pulled back to the road and drove.

"What-"

"Shut up." she told me. I knew it would be useless to try and figure out what's going on, so I stayed quiet.

We pulled up to the boxing arena. I was going to get put, when her hand shot out and caught my arm. I slid back to my last position. She didn't say anything at first. I could tell she was trying to calm down. I waited penitently.

"What was going through you head, talking to that-" she cut off trying not to do something stupid.

"I'm sorry, okay-"

"Sorry! That's all you can say. He's from The South's Sin! Your enemy-"

"I didn't know!" She paused in shock. "I've only been in this thing for what a day?! You seriously can not expect me to know this stuff." She relaxed a little. Letting the voice of reason go through her head she finally responded.

"Fine." she hissed, "You aren't in trouble this time. We're having a meeting tomorrow at lunch, so meet me at my table." I nodded at her business tone. I opened the door and she grabbed my wrist again. "But if I find out you talk to him like that again, I'll snap your wrist." She threaded, tightening her grip on my wrist while speaking. I pulled it away and got out silently.

I walked the steps to the front of the gym watching her drive off. I turned my back and walked in the gym to my uncle's office.

He was standing, looking out the window. I closed the door behind me. I walked and sat in the plastic seat in front of his desk. He didn't turn to me. So I decided to speak.

"Hey Uncle Mike." I said. No response. I looked at his face. It looked troubled. "What's wrong?"

"Who was that?" he asked his back to me. I raised my eyebrows. That was not the question I expected.

"Who was who?" I asked innocently. Uncle Mike turned to me.

"Don't play innocent with me, Rae. We both know that's anything but who you are," I glared his response, "I'm talking about the person who dropped you off." I rolled my eyes.

"That was just a girl from my school. An acquaintance. She saw me walking and offered me a ride. I didn't think you would mind." He sighed and shook his head.

"You just love to attract trouble," he mumbled to himself. "Stay away from her." He said to me.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I know her. She's some kind of gang leader or something." He told me. "Please tell me you'll stay away her."

"Scouts honor," I lied holding my hand up. He glared at me.

"I'm serious."

"So am I." I lied smoothly. I smiled internally. Thank you four years of flawless lying experience. He nodded and leaned back in his chair. The comfortable chair.

"So now go get dressed in your gear. Since you didn't get the warm up you needed, we'll be working over time." He said delighted at the idea. I rolled my eyes.

"Hooray." I said with fresh sarcasm. I stood up to walk out his office but before I could exit he stopped me with his next sentence.

"Rae, I'm only looking out for you." I didn't say anything back. I just closed the door and walked away. It seemed as if everyone was looking out for me. That's just great. Not.

I was on the punching bag when I let my mind really wander. So his name was Richard (or Robin). The name fit him. Not just his face but his whole persona. His joking tone, strong spirit, a smile that can warm anyone…

I shook my head clearing my head. I should stop thinking about him. I don't know him. It's not like I can get with him. _And why not! _My mind screamed, _what's stopping you._ That is true. There's nothing holding me back. Except for Jinx …_And you worried about her because…_

I sighed still punching. There was no way I was risking my butt for him. He's just I guy. An incredible handsome, and sweet…

_Oh stop it!_ I yelled at myself. _He's not worth your time._ Still…I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if we did go out. How would it be? With one final punch I knew the answer.

It would be amazing.

"Alright, Rae, time to get to work!" He stood behind the punching bag. I started to punch. "Faster. Punch faster! Make it sting!"

I was exhausted by the time I got home. I was lying in my bed restless. I kept waking up every couple hours since I went to bed. I looked at my clock for the third time. _2:01,_ it read. I huffed before I pulled off the covers. I walked over to my closet, pulling out jeans, a jacket, and my boots.

_If I couldn't go to sleep I would go out_, I decided in my head. I pulled up the window in my room and slipped into the night. The moon was half full, providing enough light for me to see. I keep walking before I reached my destination. I sat down on the ground with my back on the trunk of a tree. I was in my little jagged meadow. I looked to see the house that was now about a hundred yards away.

I hear movement and twisted my body towards it. I climbed into the tree to hide. I saw a figure move towards my little clearing. Once it was in it, I could see it wasn't just anybody. It was my beautiful nightmare, Richard. He sighed and sat down at the base of my tree.

I looked at him. I could see his hair shining in the moonlight. He looked up with eyes closed. I tensed up. There was no way he could see me…he opened his eyes and met mine. Busted.

He smiled and stood up.

"Can't say hi?" He asked playfully. It must have rubbed on me because I responded.

"Was I supposed to say something?" I asked equally playful.

"Yeah. You're supposed to come down and greet me. Then I'm supposed to kiss you." I jumped down landing on my knee. I slowly stood up. I saw him look at me greedily. I walked up to him. He backed up against a tree.

"I'm not that type on girl." I told him softly. He chuckled lightly.

"Somehow I don't believe that." We were so close together. I stroked his face. I had the biggest urge to just lean up and kiss him. His lips were so close…

My mind screamed at me, making me back up. What am I doing? I'm outside with a guy I don't know about to kiss him .

I backed up from him. Wordlessly, I walked away him back to the house.

"Hey, listen up! Queen Bee has an announcement!" Flash told the North Angels. I was standing and talking to Kori when I heard him. I was invited to there many meetings ("Really it's just an excuse to have a party, said Kori) at The Northington House.

I've been a North Angel for a week. I wasn't an official member, yet. But I played along to see how interesting this thing is. And it's proven to be worth it everyday. I turned my attention to Jinx, who walked on the stage and grabbed the microphone from Flash. I saw him touch her hand discreetly. Jinx's mouth turned up into a slight smile.

"Alright, people. Friday, this week, as you all know, the annual Town Masquerade is being held. And like usual, The South's Sin is coming!" There was a chorus off "boos" coming from the North Angels. I stayed quiet. "But as you know, it's the one night were we can't start anything with them. I'm not trying to reveal us. Have you weapons in case they pull something but other than that don't try anything! If you do then you answer to me." She said the last part with a dangerous edge.

Everyone nodded at her. The music cut back on and Sienna came to where I and Kori stood. "You have your stuff for the ball?" Kori asked me. I shook my head.

"Doesn't matter anyway." Jinx said. I looked her curiously. "She's not going."

"What?" Kori and I said in unison. Jinx was unfazed.

"She's not going."

"Why?" I asked frustrated.

"You've been here for only two weeks. You have no clue how to handle yourself. You're not ready for anything related to really being in North Angel. Not yet." She concluded. Before I could respond she turned away from and walked away. Koi shook her head.

"Don't worry. She's uptight at first. She'll loosen up soon enough." I nodded at Kori's statement.

It didn't matter what Jinx said. If she thinks I'm just going to roll over and play dead because she said so. And with that statement I decided I was going to that ball. Whether Jinx liked or not. I smirked at the idea in my head. I knew just how to do it.

"Push, Raven! Come on, you can hit harder than that, can't you?" Uncle Mike yelled. I was doing a drill with him. I hit the gloves with all my strength knocking him back a bit. He smiled and said "Good. We're done for the day." He hung up his gloves. I followed his lead going into the locker room.

When I got out Vic was there. He was fully dressed in jeans and a sports jacket. He was leaning against the wall.

"What do you want, Vic?" I asked briskly stopping in front of him. He stepped away from the wall. He narrowed her eyes at me. Vic didn't say anything until I started walking away from him.

"I know you're in that gang." I stopped my stride. It was silent. Nobody was there to heard; it was just me and Vic. I faced him. His face was hard with determination. That when I noticed the tattoo on her neck. A lion with two mirrored S's on it. "You thought it wasn't obvious."

I smirked and dropped my stuff. "So another South Sinner wants to play."

"I'm not part of them. I'm not stupid enough to that." I narrowed my eyes at her. "However, my best friend is."

I raised my eyebrow at her. Then my eyes darted to his tattoo and I knew who she was talking about.

"You're Richard's friend." He nodded.

"He goes by Robin most of the time. I'm surprised you know his real name." He said to me with no emotion.

We stood there for a moment, letting the words hang in the air. He was Richard's, Robin's, best friend. I couldn't believe it. After a moment he broke our silence.

"I'm not here to tell you what to do. I don't care what you two do. But if you go near him..." he trailed off before smirking, "I'll leave that an open threat." He walked by me to the exit without another word. I sprinted after him.

"Victor!" I called. He turned to me, a cold look in her eyes. I walked up to her. "Why do you care? Robin and I don't talk. We only know each other as enemies." I lied.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know all about you two." I stood there shocked.

"Vic-"

"I won't tell. All I'm saying is you better not hurt him." He got in her car. I walked back in the gym to change.

Uncle Mike waited outside in his car. I opened the passenger door and got in.

"So I was thinking," he started, "the annual masquerade is coming up. Your aunt and I are taking the kids. You wanna come with us?" he asked. I sighed, getting in character.

"I think I'll sit this one out, Uncle Mike. I've had enough balls in California." I expected him to start trying to persuade me to go. He, instead, just nodded.

"So I'm guessing your dad made you go to these things all the time." I stayed silent. "He was always kind of controlling. Don't worry you don't have to go if you don't want." _Kind of_, I scoffed at the thought. We were silent for the ride home.

Jinx was standing in front of a mirror. She had on a gorgeous black gown on. We were at the house and everyone was trying there outfits for the ball tonight. Kori was standing beside her in a stunning red gown.

"You look great Queen Bee. Now can I go?" I stated. I knew she dragged me here so I can feel bad but I wasn't giving her any satisfaction. I was tired of being here. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay, big baby, you can go." I stood up, "After you help me with my mask." I glared at her. She just smiled evilly at me. I sighed and grabbed the mask on the table beside me. It was black with silver curves on it. I handed it to her.

I rushed out there but I could hear Jinx say "It's so beautiful tonight. Too bad our little newbie can't enjoy it." Too bad she didn't know she was wrong.

I was soon home. Uncle Mike and the rest were gone. I sighed in relief. I hurried to my closet. I pulled out my gown. It was a grayish-ivory asymmetrical gown by Chanel. The neckline was halter with the back out, the logo at the bottom.

I had it for a long time but never wore it. I don't know why I dragged it down here, but it came in handy for tonight.

I smiled as I pulled out my mask. It was silver with it fading to ebony on the edges. Like a shadow. I covered my eyes doing my hair. I curled it and brushed it so it was wavy. My hair was all out, no longer held by a ponytail or by a hat. This was one of those times I was happy I let it grow out. It hadn't been out like this in so long that I savored it.

Once the clock hit ten, I was headed to the ball.

The ball was in full swing when I entered. It was at a hotel called The Châteaux Paradise. No one noticed me come in. Perfect. I went down the stairs to the floor. A few guys would look and try to dance with me but I ignored them. Them I spotted The North Angels. They were on a balcony. I saw Jinx glaring at someone on the other balcony across from it. I switched my gaze. Across from them was Southside. In the front was a girl with platinum blonde hair with a natural tan in front. She wore a similar dress to Jinx except it was pure white. She gestured to the dance floor. Jinx nodded.

A few minutes later, two couples were on the dance floor when some tango music came on. I knew immediately the couple in black was ours and in white was The South Sin. Each couple moved with grace and skill. The North Angels was more aggressive (kind of ironic with the name). The South Sin, however, was more dynamic. Each was good as they battle it out. In the end it was clear. South Sin won.

I glared at there smiling faces. Jinx looked like she was going to kill them. She probably was. When our dancers went back I saw Jinx yelling at them severely. Flash stepped in and pulled Jinx away forcefully. I chuckled at the scene.

"Hello." said a handsome voice. I turned around. Standing behind me was a handsome stranger. He wore a black tuxedo and white and black mask. For some reason my heart skipped a beat. I forgot how to talk. Then he smiled at me. It looked familiar.

Before I could try and figure out where I had seen the smile he started to speak again.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked. Suddenly my voice came back.

"Yes." I breathed. He smiled once again. He offered me his hand. Without having to think about it, I accepted it. A familiar spark entered my body. I was suddenly out of control of my body, like I was in a haze. And for once, I didn't mind.

The sweet sound of a saxophone entered my ears. I was soon moving in a familiar pattern. I suddenly knew we were waltzing. We didn't speak; we just moved with the music. No one else existed. He spun me out and I was desperate to be back in his arms. When I was, I looked into his eyes. There were light brown but darker than hazel and they looked a different color at the edges but couldn't see clearly because of the mask. I smiled at him. We didn't look away for the rest of our dance.

Too soon, he spun and dipped me, ending the dance. The applause brought me back to the present. I looked around and the dance floor was empty except for me and him. The spell broke.

I bit back my smile and faced my stranger. He had on his same smile. I smirked at an idea. I moved so I could talk to him.

"Meet me in the garden, if you can disappear." I walked to the nearest crowd; making a sure he didn't follow me. I exit the ballroom to the garden behind it. The moon was full and shining.

A few moments later, I heard him approach. I turned to face him. He was bleached in moonlight. He looked even more handsome.

"So who are you?" he asked. I smirked.

"You're not supposed to know." I told him. I walked closer to him. He did the same.

"It's a shame." He stroked my face. His fingers left a trail of sparks on my face. The same haze when we danced came over me. His touch was so familiar. "A beautiful girl is bound to have a name that matches."

"I don't think you want to know me." I told him softly.

"Why not?" I smirked at his question.

"I'm a dangerous person to know." He, in turn, smirked at me.

"That makes two of us..." He trailed off.

It was silent except for the music inside. I looked in his eyes. As they pulled me in, I saw an emotion in them I didn't understand. Then, before I could figure it out, his lips was on mine.

My veins were suddenly on fire. The haze that clouded my mind was no longer there. I was amazing alert of him. I kissed him back quickly, letting my fingers traced his face, memorizing it. I couldn't control myself. His arms snaked around my waist as mine went around his neck. His tongue ran across my lips. Instinctively, they parted for him. His tongue slid in my mouth. My body trembled at the kiss.

Our masks moved off our faces as we kiss. I didn't notice until we pulled back to breath. Our breath made the air fog up. I looked into his eye again. Suddenly, I recognized them. I pulled away I saw my stranger's face. His eyes widen in recognition too. I felt for my mask. It was on my forehead. He can see my face.

I pulled away completely. I didn't know what to do. He moved close to me but I moved back. I finally knew what to do. I ran from him and the ball. I ran until I was safely in my car and driving.

When I reached the house, I quickly changed to my pajamas, scrubbed off my makeup, and hide all the evidence that I went to the ball tonight. I threw myself on the bed and started at the ceiling.

I can't believe it. It actually happened. After dreaming, denying, and promising myself it wouldn't happen; I did it. I kissed Robin.

At three in the morning, Uncle Mike came home. Auntie Ann was caring a tired Justin in her arms. "Hi, Rae. How was your night?" Aunnie asked.

"Fine." I lied. She smiled. She switched Justin to her other arm and brushed back my hair with her fingers.

"I wish you were there. You would have had a great time." She told me. She then got up. "Goodnight Raven."

I sighed and lay back down. I could still feel Richard's lips on mine. When I closed my eyes, I was back at the ball in the moonlight. I tried but I couldn't make myself regret the kiss. I wanted to kiss him now so bad it hurt.

I replayed it in my mind over and over again. That's why he seemed so familiar. I couldn't remember then but I could recall his touch perfectly now. I tossed and turned all night. I just couldn't sleep. When I did, all I could dream about was him.


	4. Nightmares

_Nightmares_

I was silent Monday at Jinx's table. She, Kori, and Sting were talking about the ball. I made a fist while keeping my eyes on the disgusting lunch in front of me. I wanted to say something-_anything-_to let Jinx know I was there but knew it would be better if I didn't. I sighed quietly. It was official; I hated Gotham.

"Raven," Jinx called. I looked up at her with a look that I knew said _piss off. I'm not in the mood._ Jinx just smiled at me. She just wanted me hurt her one of these days. "Don't you want to know what happened at the ball? I mean since you couldn't go, you might as well know what you should be ready for next year when you go with us." We were seniors. There was no next year.

But instead of pointing that out, I just smirked.

"Oh, I heard." I told her. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"You did." She said as a statement instead of a question. I nodded still smirking.

"Yeah, I mean it's not everyday you hear about The South Sinners kicking your ass. Or is it?" Jinx crushed the soda in her hand. She got out her seat and walked out. The whole cafeteria was quiet. Sting looked at me in disgust.

"Not cool newbie." She stated, getting up and following Jinx. I could hear Jinx yelling in the hallway no doubt about me. I looked back at the table indifferently.

"Groupie…" I mumbled. Kori said nothing. I looked at her and was surprised to see a smile on her face.

"That…" she started, "was unbelievable." I smirked, hearing a bit of a French accent in her voice.

"In a good way or a bad way?" I asked. She turned her body towards me.

"Definitely in a good way." She said laughing. I laugh along with her. "Especially since you saw it first hand." I stopped and looked at her for a long moment. Kori just sipped her drink innocently.

"How did you…?"

"I saw you there." She told me. "I noticed you on the dance floor. Your form when you danced was way too similar to your form when you fought me."

"Oh." That's all I could say to that. I didn't know if I wanted to know the answer to my next question but luckily I didn't have to ask.

"No, I didn't tell Jinx." Kori told me. She sipped her drink while looking at me.

"But you want to know why you should keep this secret." I said matter-of-factly. She nodded. I sighed. I knew wasn't going to tell her about Robin-I didn't want _anyone _to know about that-so I told her the next best thing.

"I'm an heir to a billion dollar enterprise who was sent here for punishment. I know I may seem easy to manipulate but I'm not. And I'm not going to roll over and play dead for that girl. If I want to go somewhere do something then I'm going to do it." I summed up. Kori nodded her head. A smile broke out over her face.

"Well I hope you know that you were dancing with Richard Grayson." I played my part and raised my eyebrow.

"Who?" I asked. Kori gasped at me before shuffled in her bag excitedly. She looked around and pulled out a magazine when no one was looking.

"Jinx would have a fit if she knew I carried this around." She said. I looked at the magazine. The cover was a man who seemed to be the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. I recognized the face from some magazines that were from around my house. "That's Bruce Wayne, Richard adopted father, although you'd never guess from first glance." Kori explained. I furrowed my eyebrows.

He was adopted? I looked back at the picture and saw what Kori meant. It wasn't obvious but it was noticeable. Before I could think more about it, she flipped the page. She pointed to the picture of Bruce Wayne, his business partner, Diana, and Robin. Kori sighed dreamily while looking at the picture.

"He maybe an enemy but he is so cute!" she said. I glared at her for second before catching myself. There was no way I was getting possessive over some guy I don't even _know._ I shook my head. Kori glanced at me. "Oh come on! You can't say he's not." If only she knew how true that statement was…

"He's seems okay for a pretty boy." I told her, nonchalant. Her jaw dropped at my statement. She pulled me out my seat and into the nearest empty classroom. I fell into a desk. I was disoriented by her sudden actions.

"What the-"

"How can you say that?" she asked incredulous. I stared at her like she was crazy.

"I don't know him." _Liar,_ my mind said. "He just seems to be another rich pretty boy. If I wanted that, I could've stayed home." I crossed my arms at her. Her face fell. My confidence wavered at the look. She didn't look like the girl that fought me two weeks ago. She looked like a lost puppy caught in the rain. "Kori…"

"He's not that bad. I know that." She said quietly. I paused as I looked at her, realizing that by the look on her face she knew him…very well.

"He was your boyfriend." I said. I frowned at her. Great my friend's ex-boyfriend is in Southside and I-

"Not boyfriend." She interrupted gently. "He was my best friend before…all of this happened." She looked up suddenly with wide eyes. "Don't tell anybody I said that. No one can know about our friendship-"

"It's okay, Kori." I said. "I won't tell." She let out a breath of relief. The bell rang. The hallways started to fill up. We watched them for a while before we silently parted.

"Oh, friend Raven," Kori called. I turned to look at her. "Jinx wanted me to tell you to meet us later tonight, around midnight." I nodded and walked further into the crowd.

* * *

I looked at the deep dark sky. Jinx was checking her car's trunk for something. I sighed at the night sky. I slipped out the house about an hour ago, completely unnoticed; glad I would have something to do tonight other than stare at my ceiling hoping to get at least an hour of sleep.

"Okay, we're set." Jinx told me. Today Jinx was taking Kori, Sting, and I on a "business call". I didn't really know what we were doing but I knew I would find out soon enough. I just slid of the hood of my Ferrari and climbed in. Jinx tossed me a small silver cell phone. Kori climbed into the passenger's seat of my car. She looked at me and smiled.

I paused for a moment, really looking at her. I never thought about it but Kori looked out of place here. She looked she would be the type with a protective but caring dad, spending her days shopping and partying, surrounded by money. She also looked she would live in L.A. instead of Gotham.

She looked like she was supposed to have my life.

"You ready?" she asked excitedly. I nodded and laughed at her energy.

"Remind me if I ever go in the army to bring you along." I teased. She laughed.

"Just follow Queen Bee." She told me. We soon out riding through the city. I saw the scenery soon change. We were on the other side of the city. It took a graffiti sign to let me know we were in Southside territory.

"We're on the south side?" I said out loud, "What are we doing down here?" Koi looked around, just as confused as me. Then there was a look of realization in her eyes.

"Shit!" she said. "She must be down here for Terra." Koi pulled out her phone. She dialed, Jinx I'm guessing, and put the phone to her ear. I could hear the answer machine. Koi slammed the phone close. "Okay, listen to me," she told me, "Southside isn't a joke. Look everywhere. Don't let your guard down, no matter how quiet the place seems. They've got people crawling all over the place." She looked in her bag at her feet. She pulled out a small silver gun with an intricately designed NS on it.

"Hold on to this." She said, "You got ten rounds on it. Make it last. If you run out, you whatever fighting skills you got and then run." I placed it in the pocket of my jacket.

"Run?"

"Only a stupid person would stay and fight them."

"Oh." I followed Jinx into an obscure alleyway. Kori got out. I didn't follow. Kori stormed up to Jinx.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" she said in a low voice. It was still late, the moon still high in the sky. I scooted my car a little more into the alley so we weren't too obvious. I got out just in time to hear the heat of the argument.

"If you want to do this, then risk yourself, not us!" Sting said. Jinx took her sunglasses off. She had a steely gaze.

"If it makes you feel better, you and Kori can stay with the cars and I can take Raven with me." She said. She turned and gave me a pointed looking, letting me know it wasn't merely a suggestion. "Raven, give Kori you're keys and lets go." I sighed before tossing the keys to Kori.

"Don't ruin my car." I told her. I smiled little bit to ease the tension. It worked. She laughed.

"Relax; I'll pay for the repairs." She teased.

"Raven!" Jinx called out impatience. I pretended to choke myself when Jinx wasn't looking, making Sting and Kori laughed quietly. I jogged over to Jinx's side. She walked toward the edge of alley.

"So what's this about, Queenie?" I asked. She scowled at me. She hated being called Queenie.

"Watch it newbie." She warned. I put my hands up as if surrendering. "We're here to get a tip off."

"Tip off?"

"A tip off is what I call the info from my spies." She explained. My eyes widened in realization.

"You mean-"

"Yep." She answered. "He gives me a report every month around this time. He couldn't sneak away this month."

"So we're going to him?" I asked. She must be crazy. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is that a problem?" I rolled my eyes. Truth be told, it was. I knew on this side, anything could happen. Jinx had no control over here. And I didn't know what I would do if I saw _him_ again…

I shook my head. Jinx must have taken that as a no. She didn't say anything else as we continued to walk through an intricate system of alleyways until there was an opening. Sienna peered around the corner. She grimaced and turned to me.

"How quietly can you run?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Pretty quiet, I guess." I told her. She smirked at the answer.

"Good." And she was off. I stood stunned for moment before running after her. Luckily, I could still see her in front of me. She wasn't far away, maybe a block away. She seemed to purposely try to put distance between us. Knowing her, she probably was. I raced behind her quietly. We were like two thieves racing to find our jackpot. Suddenly, Jinx stopped. She grabbed me by my jacket, forcing me to stop with her when I passed her. She put a firm hand on my shoulder before leaning down to whisper something.

"Sneak up the fire escape. Hide up there. You leave five seconds after me. If you make a sound, you're good as dead, understand?" she said briskly. I nodded. "Good."

She put something wrapped in cloth in my hand and pushed me towards the fire escape.

"I already have one." I told her. She shrugged.

"Can never have too many." She said gravely. I suppressed a shiver at her words. I quietly climbed up the ladder. I walked casually and blended in with shadows. I moved into a position where I could see Jinx. I looked at the cloth. I didn't need to unwrap it to know what it was.

Jinx walked up to the middle of the alley and stood there, arms crossed.

"Took you long enough." Jinx said. I saw a shadow of a man on the wall of the alley.

"Patience is a virtue, Jinx." Said a voice. I looked and saw a guy in normal clothes. He could have been a normal teenage guy, if not for the insane look on his face. But we all knew better.

"Look Joker, just give me the report so I can go." She demanded. Joker laughed and smiled. Jinx narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Okay. Southside's not playing." He told her, "They going on an edge, especially with you're new girl. Terra needs at least one more excuse and she'll be ready to declare war." Jinx sighed. She looked at the moon. Joker looked at it too and suddenly became serious. He seemed more dangerous because of it.

"You better get out of here. South Sin's waking up early today." Jinx looked at the sky for another moment before abruptly ran out the alley at full speed. I waited two seconds before following. I stayed hidden in the shadow all the way to the cars. Jinx didn't slow as she approached Sting and Kori.

"Where's Raven?" Koi asked.

"I don't know!" Jinx told her icily. I stopped behind her.

"I'm right here Queen Bee." I said. She looked at me surprised.

"Where were you?" she asked. I opened my mouth when I heard a car swerving nearby. "Never mind. Let's go!"

We jumped into our cars. Kori revved the engine, speeding out the alley. I sat restlessly as Kori drove _my _car. I was never the passenger seat. Then from behind us, bullet hit the back window.

"Uh oh." Kori pressed for more gas. I turned around to look. The bullet narrowly missed the back window.

"Grab the gun!" Kori yelled at me. I quickly unwrapped the cloth from the gun in my jacket pocket. I looked at the gun. It was silver with NS carved on it intricately. Another bullet to the back window brought me back to reality. Kori swerved a little bit before getting back in control. "Raven, hurry up!"

I pointed the gun and shot several rounds and was being shot at. Most of my shots hit someone. So after we were out the city limits.

I sighed and set my gun down. But before I turned back around in my seat, I saw a familiar tanned platinum blonde emerge from one of the cars chasing us. But what surprised me most was the person next her. It was obvious they had a close relationship with the leader, Terra, her right hand guy. But I didn't expect it to be Robin.

I turned around feeling a burning anger and a bigger part of anguish.

"Hey relax we made it out alive. There are worst things that could've happened." Kori consoled. _I think they just did_, I thought.

* * *

Terra removed her shades and watched Jinx drive off in tact. No injuries what so ever. Robin joined her side as Terra snarled at the retreating cars. Only when the Northsiders were out her sight did she yell at Robin.

"What the hell was that?" she yelled. "You could have easily shot her!" Robin stepped back from her.

"I was little off. My bad." He said.

"My bad, my ass."

"Watch it." Robin warned. Terra shook her head. She stepped closer to him.

"No. You watch it. You do your job! Or did you forget how?" She put her shades back on. In the sky, a flock of birds were flying by. Terra turned to Robin as the rest of the gang watched expectantly.

"Shoot the bird. Second row, left end." She commanded. Robin rolled his eyes. He pointed his gun at the sky and shot off two rounds. The designated bird fell to the ground. Terra smiled. "Good job." She complimented, walking towards him. She kissed Robin's cheek sweetly. "Don't miss again." She whispered again. "Let's go back." She told everyone else.

Robin winked before walking back to his car. Terra looked back at the bird on the ground. _Why was he so off when he was in range with that newbie?_ She questioned. She looked up in time to see him discreetly wipe off her kiss. She narrowed her eyes. _Something's wrong with this picture. _She thought. Terra knew something was up but wasn't sure what it was. She shrugged and let it go. For now.

* * *

That night I was seated on my bed. When I woke up later this morning (thankful that it was Saturday), I saw Uncle Mike rushed out the house. He was outraged when he saw the car.

"What happened to the car?" he yelled. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. _You're supposed to be innocent,_ I reminded myself as I got out.

"I went for an early drive and out of nowhere someone just shoots my car." I said letting my anger at the shooter seep into my voice just enough so it mixed with astonishment.

"What part of town was driving in?" he asked. Aunnie rushed to me to check if I was okay. I felt a pang of guilt but brushed off.

"I'm fine." I assured her before addressing Uncle Mike, "I don't know but I'm guessing the bad part?" He rolled his eyes.

"Relax. I can get it fixed and have a back up car by Tuesday." Uncle Mike looked at me skeptically before going back in the house. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the day but I felt his eyes following me, his suspicion becoming my shadow. This continued for hours until I locked myself in my room to get away from it.

I sighed out loud as I stared up at my ceiling.

I was thinking through all my memories of Robin. It was the same thing over and over again. I would get that familiar thrill of when we meet, the street meeting, the forest, dancing with him…then it would go back to the hurt and confusion remembering yesterday night.

A knock on my door brought me back to the present.

"Raven?" Justin called. "Are you okay?" I got off my bed and opened the door to my little cousin.

"Finally found a way to pull yourself away from your video games?" I teased weakly. Justin closed the door and lay on my bed.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked. He knew me too well. I sighed.

"Nothing-", he gave me the I-know-you're-lying look, "-just some school stuff." I wasn't lying, technically.

He looked at me warily.

"I don't know. You looked confused all day."

"Your point?"

"You're never confused. You're a class 'A' know-it-all." I scowled at Justin's description. I opened the door for him to leave. He rolled his eyes and got up. When he was about to step out the room, he looked at me with concern.

"Relax, I'm fine. I promise." I gave him a convincing smile. He sighed before walking back to his room. I shut the door and locked it back.

A few hours later I was tried of sitting and wondering. I opened my window and looked back at my door with reassurance. Everyone was asleep. I wouldn't get caught tonight.

I jumped out the window. My forest was quiet as usual. I took some comfort in that. I climbed a tree in the clearing and sat on the strongest branch. The moon was still full, bathing everything pale silver. My mind, for once, was clear.

Then I heard rustling in the forest under me. Suddenly, my heart started beating wildly in my chest. I waited and in no more than two minutes, he was in the meadow under me. My mind constantly flashed back to this morning, the images of him shooting at me replaying over and over again. I felt my blood boil as I stood up, looking down at him. _You bastard,_ I cursed mentally before jumping down. When he looked up, it was too late. I was already tackling him to the ground. I let out a cry of anger before punching him in the face.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed as I pinned him down.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" I mocked before punching him squarely in the jaw. He pushed me off of him and stood up, stumbling back a couple of feet. Robin wiped his mouth; it was bleeding. He wasn't smirking anymore.

"Wanna try that again?" He asked. We stared at teach other and ran towards one another. He tried to punch me but I dodged, trying to kick him down. He jumped. We went like that for who knows how long, he only got a couple of hits on me before I pinned him to the ground. He put his hand on my boot. I lowered my face. It was as if time stood still…then he pulled me down to earth.

Literally.

I was on my back with him towering over me. I rolled back on my feet. I did a roundhouse kick but he dodged. My boot hit a tree instead. I tried to pull away with no avail. I was stuck. I saw Robin's smirk return.

I pulled the hidden knife from the back of my boot and threw it at him. It narrowly missed his head. I was both relieved and angry that it did. He walked towards me and pulled me from the tree. I tried to kick him but he pinned me to another tree with his body. I pushed against him, trying to get him off of me.

Then I made the mistake of looking into his eyes and I stopped fighting. I couldn't even remember why I was mad. He leaned towards me until our lips almost touch; my breath became uneven. He looked me in the eyes before softly brushing his lips against mine.

This kiss was slower than the previous one but had something…more to it. I kissed him back eagerly, never changing the pace. He let my arms go, as he wrapped his own around me. I pulled him towards me with all my strength. He bit my bottom lip and our tongues collided. I felt him smile against my lips.

When we needed air, I pulled away. He moved on to my neck, kissing it softly. I moaned quietly, running my fingers through his hair. He was soon back on my lips. He kissed me for the longest then pulled away only to kiss me quickly one more time. We leaned our foreheads against each other's. I felt like I was drowning in him.

Then my memory came back.

"No!" I shoved him away. He stumbled to the ground. We were both breathing heavily.

"Wow." I heard him mumble. A small smile came to my lips. I had the same effect on him as he did on me. I frowned as I realized what just happened. I moved to leave but he caught my hand.

"Don't leave." He pleaded softly. His dark eyes were glazed over. I bit my lip. He was so handsome, the moonlight shining on him in just the right way…I shook my head of my thoughts.

"You're a traitor." I told him. He smiled a little.

"If I'm one, then so are you." He had me. I shook my head.

"You set me up. You were shooting at me." I accused softly. I wasn't mad, but instead sadden at the thought. I slipped my fingers out his grip. I started to walk away.

"I missed you on purpose." He said. I stopped in midstride. I backtracked to him. He looked up to me with those same glazed eyes but somehow looked alert. "I had the perfect lock on you; the perfect shot. There was no way I could've missed but I did." I knew then that he wasn't lying. I thought about our kiss. It practically screamed with him saying, "trust me". I hung my shoulders in defeat. I looked back at Robin, who was still on the ground.

I knew I could have run away. He wouldn't catch me. It would have made everything normal, easy. We could be nonexistent and safe. But I didn't want it to be. That idea even hurt to think about.

I walked back over to him. Our eyes met. I felt so vulnerable, like he could see me inside and out. Every secret I ever had, even the ones I forgot, he knew. I liked it. I didn't have to hide from him. Robin held his hand out to me. I bit my lip.

_I could walk away_, I thought. I slipped my hand into his, the same electric shot going through me all over again. _I could, but I won't._


	5. Accepted into Society

_Accepted In Society_

I walked into Jinx's office Monday after school. She told to come when I was at my locker. She was dropping hints all day that it was very important. I kept wondering what it would be but nothing came to mind. It didn't seem useful to guess since I would soon find out, I decided.

Now I'm standing in the center of Jinx's office with her sitting in her nice leather seat. She was smiling a little bit.

"I wanted to thank you for helping us yesterday." She told me. I nodded, knowing there was more. Jinx stood up with a box in her hand. She handed it to me. The box was wide and rectangular. I opened it slowly. My eyes widen at what was inside.

Inside was a black leather jacket with the word SHADOW in silver on the front. On the back was the image of two guns making an N and daggers making an S, proclaiming North Angels at the top of the jacket. The buttons were inscribed with the initials NA. I looked at Sienna. She was smiling fully.

"You mean…"

"Welcome to North Angels." She told me. I couldn't believe it. I was in.

I walked up to my car with my new jacket. I knew I would have to hide around the family but I still loved the feel of it. As I enter my car, which is now busted up, I felt someone watching me. I looked discreetly at the forest. I knew who it was when I saw the same deep brown eyes looking through the forest. When they met mine, I got the message. _Meet me in the forest_, they said. I nodded discreetly. Once they got my signal, they disappear.

I shook my head. Robin always knows how to disappear. He was _almost_ as good as me. I pulled out of parking lot and headed to my uncle's gym. After I took Robin's hand yesterday, I sunk to the ground and fell asleep. I woke up with him carrying to my window.

"What's going on?" I asked groggily. I rubbed my eyes. He put me down, holding on to my waist only. I looked around. I was at my bedroom window. I looked at Robin with a sad expression. His face was the same. We looked at each other for a while. Robin leaned his head on mine and took a deep breath. The same haze fell over me. It only disappeared when his lips touched mine. I kissed him back eagerly. He had to push me back to make me stop. He leaned his forehead against mine for a moment.

"See you tonight." He said breathlessly. I nodded not able to speak. He kissed me one last time before running back in the woods.

I smiled at the thought. I was still smiling when I entered the gym.

"Hey, Rae," Uncle Mike called, "I think you're ready for a sparing match." He said it as if this wasn't a big deal. It wasn't. I always did them when I was in Japan. This time I would be boxing instead.

"Okay." I told him. He gave me a wary look.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He sighed.

"I know that you've had special training. So I knew a regular opponent would be useless. So instead of the usual you're going to be fighting…" he pointed over to where a tall and muscled guy stood. "…him." I gaped at him

"Are you serious?" I asked him. He was crazy.

"He's the only one who would be able to handle you." Uncle Mike explained.

"I can't get into the ring with him. You haven't prepared me for that!" I continued.

"What do think you've been doing for the last month?" I ignored his question.

"I've only been boxing for three weeks!"

"And doing every other type of fighting for years and you seem to hold your own pretty good!" He snapped. He sighed and softens his tone, "Raven, your getting good. I know you picked up on this quickly." I turned away. I knew that at this rate I would end up in the ring.

I shoved Uncle Mike aside to change so I could spare. I could hear the smugness in his voice when he shouted, "Thank you!"

A few minutes later I had my gloves on, clothes changed, ready to spare. At least physically.

I stepped in the ring. And by the look on Vic's face told me he wasn't so happy to see me. I was surprised that he just didn't turn around and walk out the ring.

The bell rang. We circled each other around the ring. He made the first move. I dodged it trying to make a jab but he moved at the last second.

"I heard you're with my friend." he said quietly so only I could hear.

"Yeah, I am. Is there a problem?" I made a couple of punched to his side. He dodged the last one. He knocked me on my chin. I stumbled back a couple of steps. Even though I've had worst, it still hurt. The crowd roared masking his reply to me as Victor said to me, "I told you to stay away from him." I wiped the side of my mouth. I got back into the fight. He switched his focus to my face, leaving me the advantage. I punched him in the gut, forcing all my energy in his center point. He doubled over at the blow.

"No; you implied it." I smirked. He gritted her teeth. He backed up.

"You know what?" he stated, taking off his gloves. "Let's fight for real, since you want to play with people." I smiled, taking off my gloves.

"You're gonna regret that, tough guy." I said cockily. I dropped my gloves.

When they hit the mat we charged. I landed the first punch. He hit me back; I'll admit it was a hard hit. It knocked me to the mat. I use it as an advantage to kick his feet from under her. He toppled. Before he could he could get up, I landed on him punching him over and over in the face. He flipped me over and hit my gut. I kneed him where it would hurt to move him off of me. We fought for a while with him getting good hits on me. I dodged most of his blows while I used all the techniques I could think of. I was ready to hit her in her eye again-

Suddenly someone was pulling me off Vic. He took that chance to hit me before someone grabbed him. I kicked and pulled against my holder. I flipped them off of me. I took my stance ready to strike.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" I looked over to Uncle Mike. He was enraged. He moved into the ring and pulled me out by my arm. I moved reluctantly. He led me to the locker room. He threw me in. "Get your stuff, change, and your ungrateful, disrespecting ass home!" He turned and stormed off. Then he stopped turning back, "By the way, you're not touching that car. You're lucky I just down throw your ass on the next plane back to California!" He left. I stood there shaking.

He was taking my car! That car was practically everything to me. I walked in the locker room. I got to my locker. When I opened it my car keys fell out. I punched the locker next to mine, leaving a nice dent. I ignored my bleeding knuckles. When I got out the locker room, I saw Victor standing in the hallway leaning against the wall across from me. I smiled a little at the scratched at the side of his head.

"Let me make this clear." he said poison practically dripping off his tongue on to the floor. "Apparently my threats won't make you stop, North Angels won't stop you, Jinx and Terra obviously doesn't know about this." He put a sadistic smile on her face. "But I could tell Terra, who would tell Jinx, and you wouldn't even be a problem anymore." I felt my face fall. If he told them…"But I won't." He started to walk off. I followed her. He was walking away when I stopped him.

"Why?" I asked. He just looked at me disdainfully.

"You don't need to know." She walked away from the door to me. "All you need to know is that if you betray Robin," his voice slipped into a dangerous tone, "I'll kill you." He put a pair of shades on and walked out. I was frozen for a moment before walking back to my locker.

All while I was getting dressed I pondered over why he wouldn't tell. When I reached the parking lot, my car was no where to be seen. In its place was a note.

_Be home by 7. No dinner otherwise._

_-Uncle Mike_

I balled up the note and threw it. It was about five miles away from the house, no buses come this way, and I only had half an hour to get back. I took a deep, yet jagged breath. With my bag slung over my shoulder, I started jogging back to the house.

Robin was laughing at the story his cousin was telling him. Vic rolled her eyes and raised his arms behind his head.

"Seriously Vic, how you gonna let her give you a scar? You're a good fighter." He told him. Victor was getting agitated. It's not that he lost the match; he could take that part. It was the fact that he lost to _her. _Vic turned to his best friend. He'd never want to see him get hurt. They were practically brothers. That's why he had to win that match, to prove he could protect him from that girl…and he failed.

"Yeah well she's better." he said bitterly. Robin turned at the tone of Vic's voice.

"Whoa," he said, "where did that come from?" Vic sighed.

"Robin," he said, "that girl is clearly going to hurt you. She's a fighter. Don't trust this-"

"Hey!" Robin stepped in front of her. "What's wrong with you? Ever since she came to town you've been going crazy." Vic raised his eyebrow at him.

"Me? I've been crazy." he snorted. "Ever since you saw her some one here has been going crazy. Hint, hint; It's not me." He stepped around him and walked. "Ever since she came, you've all of a sudden your over Terra like she never existed. Then you're all star struck. And I knew something is going on between you two-"

"No-"

"Yes." he corrected. "I'm not blind." Robin opened his mouth to comment but Vic interrupted.

"Don't." he warned. Robin sighed.

"Wasn't it you that said 'If love be rough with you, be rough with love'. I did what you said!"

"No you didn't" he told him. "You did what you always do. Meet a girl, fall head over heels, and then realize you like someone else more." Robin rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Well my bad we all can't be like you." Vic smirked at his statement. He was biggest Playboy Robin knew. And he knew _a lot. _He changed girls like clothes and did it so well that people never accused him of being anything less than a gentleman. And for the few people that did…they didn't turn out so good. "You're the player, not me." Robin told him.

"And you're in love with the idea of being in love." he countered.

"Touché." He said. Victor sighed.

"Seriously, Robin, are you sure you should even be doing this? This is reckless and stupid." Robin sighed at his statement.

"Look, I know you've heard this statement before but," he looked his best friend in the eye, "This girl is different." Victor rolled his eyes turning away. Robin grabbed his shoulders, making them face each other. The height difference was comedic. "I don't know how. She just is. And I don't care what you say, I'm gonna see her whether you like it or not." Robin walked away from him, seeing the sky getting dark. Victor shook his head at his best friend's retreating back.

"Please, _please,_ let me be wrong about her." he preyed.

I waited exactly three hours, forty-six minutes and twenty seven seconds to get out the house. Once my door was locked and everyone was asleep, I snuck out the window. I ran through the woods. I was afraid that last night was a dream. But I was quickly reassured when I saw Robin lying on the ground with his hands behind his head; the perfect picture of relaxation.

I walked over to him and flopped down in the grass beside him. He smiled with his eyes closed. I smiled too.

"Hey." I greeted. He wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me on top of him.

"Hi." He said. I laughed gently. A breeze blew and he breathed in deeply. He leaned close but I put my finger over his lips to stop him. I climbed off of him. I climbed up the tree next to him. I didn't stop until I was at least ten feet above him. He stood up to follow me. I stood up. He sighed and stopped what he was doing.

"Want to tell me what you're doing?" Robin said. I sighed.

"What are we doing?" I asked him.

"Well I'm about to climb this tree to get next to you?"

"Why?" I asked him. "You don't know me."

"Sure about that?"

"What's my last name?" I asked him. He thought for a second.

"Roth." He answered.

"Where am I from?"

"California."

"What's my favorite color?"

"Purple."

"Wrong." He was stumped. I jumped down."My point." I told him walking away.

He grabbed my arm to stop me. I stopped. He turned me around. Robin looked me dead in the eyes. I turned away.

"Hey." He said turning my face to his. I looked at him with no expression. "You're right." My face fell. "I don't know anything about you. This is crazy for us to do. We are risking our lives for someone we barely know." I turned away again. He made me look back at him. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to."

Despite everything that I knew I was risking, I smiled. He leaned and again I stopped him before the haze tool over me.

"Not until you learn my favorite color." I told him. I sat down on the grass. Robin rolled his eyes before sitting beside me.

"Ok…" he started. "First question: favorite place to go…"

I smiled at the question. "That's a stupid question."

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Because my answer is obvious."

"What is it?" I rolled my eyes at his cluelessness. I motioned him closer to me. I cupped my hands to his ears, as if I was telling him a secret.

"My favorite place to go is right here with you." I whispered. I knew he liked my answer.


	6. Hints

_Hints_

I looked down at the water. It was early Saturday morning. I left another note at the house saying I was going for a drive. Uncle Mike will be pissed nut I could care less. Because the person I was with was more important.

I was at the pier with Robin. I was leaning against the rail watching the sunrise. He was sitting down with his feet dangling over the water.

"So what's your favorite food?" he asked. I smiled. Everyday for the last week we've been asking each other "all about me" questions. We never went a day without asking one. I thought about y answer.

"I love a good chili or spicy clam chowder." I answered. He got that surprised look he gave me after most of my answers.

"Seriously?" I nodded. "I would have thought you would have gone for something fancy that I've never heard of." I rolled my eyes.

"Well apparently," I went under the railing and stood on the other side holding on to the rail so I won't fall in the water. I lowered my face to his. "I'm not what you expect."

I leaned in like I was going to kiss him but stopped an inch before our lips touched. I moved my face away slowly making him follow at the same pace. Then before he realized it, he was falling into the water.

I laughed. That same thing has been happening too this passed week. Not him falling into water but me taunting him to kiss me when I didn't want him to. At least not yet. He surfaced soaking wet.

"Not cool!" he yelled at me. He tried to splash me but I was too high up. I sat where he was once sitting. He swam closer. I watched him move closer and closer to where I was sitting until he was under me.

I never realized how long his arms were until they pulled me into the water.

I gasped when I hit the water. I resurfaced quickly. I spotted him trying to climb back up on the dock. I swam to him and pulled him down.

Robin was stunned. I took the opportunity to swim back to the shallow part of the dock. As soon as my feet could touch the sandy bottom, he tackled me back into the water. I struggled in his grasped, trying not to laugh so I won't lose air. I soon broke free and stood up. I wiped the hair out my face.

"Why did you do that?" I yelled at him.

"You started it." He argued. I started walking out the water. He followed.

"Yeah, but you don't pull a lady in." He grabbed my waist and we collapsed on the sand. I rolled so I was on my back. He was on top of me. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I laughed. He started to laugh with me. I looked back at him and suddenly all trails of laughter ended.

"Well my bad." He said in a low voice. The same haze from the ball came over me. He leaned in. I put a hand on his chest stopping him. I turned my face away. He sighed and put his face over my heart. It sped up.

"Why?" he said.

"Not yet." I explained. He rolled onto the sand next to me. I looked at the sun. I grimaced. We would have to leave soon. I hated that we had to hide all the time. I sat up and took off my boots. I held them up. "You owe me new boots." I said to Leo. He smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat. He moved his face close to mine again but I knew he won't do anything.

"Of course. A pair of black Souletine leather boots, custom made with your name on the back with a smoke design; coming right up." He told me. My eyes widened in surprised.

"How do you know that?" I asked. No one knew the _exact _description of my favorite boots.

"Well apparently," he said, moving his face inch closer to mine, "I'm just not what you expect."

I walked into the garage that evening looking at my car. I sighed running my hands along the hood. This was my second favorite car. I banged my fists on the hood, almost denting it. Uncle Mike would never let me drive this car…My head shot up.

He wouldn't let me drive _this_ car. But that doesn't mean he can stop me from getting another.

I took out my phone and called my friend Monty. He picked up on the third ring.

"What's up, Raven?" he asked.

"I need you to bring my Aero." I told him in my business tone.

"Where to?" he asked me equally business like.

"Gotham." I heard the phone drop. I rolled my eyes at his lack of composure.

"Nevah," he said calmly, "that car won't last a day there."

"I bet 20 bucks it'll last 3." I countered. I heard him sigh.

"Okay. Bring your tools too?"

"Of course, Monty." I hung up. Suddenly it was quiet. Then I heard crying. Loud crying. I went to the babies' room. Justin was trying to entertain to no avail. I chuckled at his attempts. He looked at me irritated.

"You try." He said. I shrugged and picked up Denise. She cried the loudest. I rocked her and bounced her up and down. Then I threw her up in the air a little bit. She started laughing. I smiled at her and threw a smug grin at Justin who was calming down Vanessa.

I looked around the room. It was a small, comforting room. The walls were a warming yellow, the cribs were wood with pink blankets, a changing station sat in the corner, and finally a shelf with books and movies. Most were Disney movies, which are perfect for little kids. I leaned while still rocking Denise and picked one without looking. I turned on the TV and put it in. I set Denise down on the floor (it was carpet). She looked up at me, reaching for me. I sighed and sat down, pulling her into my lap. I looked up and knew which movies we were watching. Pocahontas. Justin groaned. I gave him a look that said shut-up-they're-finally-being-quiet. He rolled his eyes but shut up nonetheless.

Halfway through the movie, Justin started to complain. I grimaced. I forgot how much I liked this movie when I was little. I wouldn't admit but I was _enjoying _this. Something moved in window. I turned to see it was a branch. I just turned back to the movie. Then I heard one of Justin's comments.

"They are so stupid. Why in the world would they even like each other? They knew they would get caught." I looked away. It sounded like it was pointed at me, even though I knew Justin didn't know. "Why would they risk everything for each other?"

"Maybe they thought that it was worth it." I didn't realize I said that out loud until it was out. Justin faced me.

"How would it be worth it? She's a princess, I guess, and he's a captain. Their lives are good."

"They _seem_ good. Maybe they feel like it their lives could be so much better with each other. That what it _was_ wouldn't be good enough for them." I explained. He nodded.

"So they love each other." My heart raced the comment before I remembered that he was talking about Pocahontas and John Smith.

"Yeah," I said calmly, "I guess they do." For the rest of the movie I kept forgetting that it wasn't me and Robin's story. That it wasn't me and Robin's tragic ending.

Robin was waiting patiently in the same area as usual. I always wondered what he was really looking at. I stood there quietly for a few moments. What Justin said still repeated in my mind but it would have to be forgotten for the moment.

"What do you always look at?" I asked quietly. He smiled, knowing I was there the whole time.

"Stargazing." He told me. He looked at me with the spark that I loved about him. "You've ever done it before?" I shook my head. I approached him.

"I tried once but they all looked the same to me." I told him sitting down beside him. He chuckled.

"Want to try again?" Robin asked. I pretended to think. Stargazing with Robin …what girl would I be if I passed that up? I smiled and nodded. "Good."

He pulled me closer to him, until I was curled into him. I was stunned at how bold he was. But then again, Robin was always bold. If this was anyone else than I would have been ready to fight, but since it's not…

"We'll start with the basics."

"Robin -"

"Right there," he said talking over me "is the little dipper." He pointed to the constellation. Robin told me each one and pointed out each one that was visible. After a while I could see them. "That one right there," he said pointing to the center on the sky. Then drawing a line with his finger he made a picture for me. "That constellation is Hydra." I looked at him. "What?" I rolled my eyes and turned into his chest.

"I think I've had enough stargazing for tonight." I told him. We were quiet for a while. Then he started to speak.

"I saw you with your cousins." He said softly. I looked up at him.

"The movement by the window…" I trailed of already knowing it was him. He nodded. I raised my eyebrow at him. "Are you stalking me?" I teased. Robin laughed a little.

"No. I was curious about how you acted around them. If you were still the same hard core girl I've always seen or…" he trailed looking me in my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. "…a caring and sweet cousin." I looked away. He caught my chin with his hand. "I liked that side of you." He smiled at me. His eyes got more intense. My breath hitched in my throat. "So are you planning to be some kid doctor or something?"

I laughed at that. I never wanted to be a doctor in my life. I shook my head. "My dad wishes I would've wanted to be a doctor or lawyer type." I chuckled at the thought. "I never wanted to be something like that." Robin tilted his head.

"Then what did you want to be?" he asked. I knew he would be shocked at my answer.

"I want to be a car designer." I told him. He got a surprised look.

"You're serious?" I nodded. He shook his head in amusement.

"What about you?" I asked him. He scrunched up his face. He looked like he was a little kid. He sighed.

"Don't laugh but…I've wanted to take over my dad's business." I nodded in understanding. He seemed like the type to take over it. If nothing else both him and Bruce Wayne seemed to carry the shadows of there lives well.

"I met him before." I said. He was shocked.

"Really?"

"What did you think of him?" he asked. I thought back to when I first met him.

"He had this who dark and mysterious thing about him. I actually met him on accident. I just but in the meeting because I was excited to see my dad since it was the first day of winter vacation. When my dad told him that my name was Raven, he said 'No wonder I came flying in'. I t was so embarrassing." He laughed. I hit on his shoulder. His laughter died down and he just held me.

"I'm glad you liked him." I felt his breath on my neck making me shiver. "You know, I heard what you said about the movie to your cousin." I tensed for a second. Did her hear what Justin said about them loving each other? He caught my gaze and stared into my eyes. The intensity in his eyes was staggering. "Am I worth it?" he asked. I thought back to the conversation.

"_They are so stupid. Why in the world would they even like each other? They knew they would get caught." I looked away. It sounded like it was pointed at me, even though I knew Justin didn't know. "Why would they risk everything for each other?"_

"_Maybe they thought that it was worth it." I didn't realize I said that out loud until it was out. Justin faced me._

"_How would it be worth it? She's a princess, I guess, and he's a captain. Their lives are good."_

"_They seem good. Maybe they feel like it their lives could be so much better with each other. That what it was wouldn't be good enough for them."_

Suddenly the question seemed worst that the love comment.

I thought about it. Was everything I was laying on the line worth the nights with him and early mornings with him? To other people it wouldn't be.

But to me…it meant everything. I've never felt this way and I didn't want to give it up. I think I may be addicted to him. It was scary to think that someone had some type of control over me. But I knew that I would give him complete control over me if I had to.

And that thought didn't scare me.

"Yes." I told him. His eyes widened in slight shock. "Am I?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Yes." And with that stamen, we didn't look away until our eyes drifted close. Before I went to sleep I remember the last part to the conversation.

"_So they love each other." _

"_Yeah," I said calmly, "I guess they do._


	7. Dancing The Night Away

_Dancing The Night Away_

"Kori, do you have to do this?" I asked. Kori and I were in room connected to the bathrooms. It had mirrors with lights around them (they were making me hot), black seats (what is with this black theme), and a couch in the middle. She was styling my hair in a million and one ways. It irritated me because I knew how to do it and do it well. I grabbed her hands and took away the brush. I fluffed out my hair and brushed it a bit. Since Kori had put it in braids an hour ago it had some nice waves. I grabbed a black hat and put it on. "There. It's done."

Kori huffed. "You did the whole controlling thing again." She complained.

"And you're doing that whole whining thing again." I told her.

"Well you make easy. You always have to be in control." She said. I held back a sigh.

"I have my reasons Kori." I said lowly. She looked at me with a confused look but then understood. She guessed that something bad happen to me. She guessed right.

"Oh…" she said. She looked away for a moment. I looked back at the mirror. An awkward silence fell over us. Then I felt the hat being removed from my head and replaced with a stunned black one. I looked back at her. She had a triumphant look.

"That one looks better." She said. I was grateful she didn't try to figure out what happened. I grimaced at her. And it was like nothing happened just then.

Kori moved behind my head and put her hands on my shoulders.

"You look great. It's perfect for first job." She told me. I nodded. My first job was to go to a club with this guy, Fox. They think some South Sinners are trespassing into our territory and want us to check it out.

When I met Fox earlier, he reminded me off Vic. He was tall, muscular, and intimidating. But of course, I never said any off this. I simply nodded to acknowledge him out of respect. Jinx walked into the room. She looked at me and nodded in approval.  
"Good job, Kori." She said. "I like the hat." Kori smiled and gave me a smug look. I held back from rolling my eyes at her. "Let's go Raven." I got up from my chair and we made our way to the front of the house. I looked on to the street waiting for Monty (His name is really Roy but he like to keep a low profile) to show up. I checked the time. 10:56 p.m. I told him to meet me by 11. 4 minutes to go.

"Where is he?" I told Jinx about them coming tonight.

"They'll be here by 11." I said. She rolled her eyes before looking at her watch.

"Well, it's 10:58. They got two minutes and my patience wearing thin."

"Stop being mad at the world because Royal is sick." I told her. She glared at me.

"Why would I be mad at that?"

"Because you're in love with him." I mumbled.

"What?" I shook my head. She was about to say something when we saw head lights approaching us. If nothing, Roy had great timing. I saw 4 different street cars. I saw the blue light that lit at the bottom and the different colors as they slowed to a stop. A yellow camaro spun to a stop expertly, parking on the other side of the road. A girl with puffs at the top of her head jumped out.

"Raven!" Karen called.

"Kare Bear!" yelled just as excited. She ran up and hugged me. She let me go with a smile.

"In the Flesh! I can't believe your dad made you come out here!"

"And that never stopped you from wearing leather while driving or drinking spiked coffee on road trips." She was the only person I knew that mixed coffee and rum. She waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever. It doesn't make me any worst. If anything it hypes me up some more."

"You still lose against me."

"Oh lets all bow down to our racing champ." She said sarcastically. I looked back at Jinx. She was now joined by Kori and Fox. They looked among the crowd. I did too. I check to see who was there. Garth, Wally, the twins Mas & Menos, Karen…

"Where's Roy?" I asked. Karen pointed to the road.

"Crusin' in your Aero." I looked and sure enough there was my precious car. All windows were tinted (bullet-proof glass), specialized engine (made by me), and a convertible. It had a silent approach, and blended in with the night. It was a midnight black with red interior. I walked up to it as it slowed right in front of me.

Roy got out and dangled the keys in front of my face. I snatched them from him. "Thank you Monty." I told him. I hugged him and he returned it. He smoothed his red hair before speaking.

"Well, no matter how stupid you decide to be with that car. I would never pass up an opportunity to drive it."

"How was it?"

"Like a dream. You got your work cut out for you, Rae."  
I looked away at the compliment. I laughed as Wally approached Jinx.

"Hello, beautiful." He said. She looked away in disgust. He grabbed her hand. Jinx quickly turned to him.

"Excuse you-"

"Wally. Pleasure to meet you Angel." She scowled at him.

"My name is not Angel." She said through her teeth, snatching her hand back. Wally didn't take the hint.

"Well, my bad. It's just that you have such an angelic essence." I turn to Karen. _Angelic essence?_ I mouthed. She shook her head trying to hold back her laughter.

"Get lost, Casanova." Jinx spat.

"Oh but I am. Lost in those gorgeous pink eyes." Jinx was seriously holding back from hurting this guy. She wasn't about to resist much longer. I knew I probably should've stepped in but this was _way _too good to pass up. "Now I could ask you on date or we can skip the small steps now…" He tailed off leaning towards her.

She snapped.

Jinx grabbed his hand and flipped him on his back, and whipped out her gun all in a matter in of seconds. Wally backed up in fear. Karen was about to walk over but I held her back. If she interrupted it could get worst. She looked at me with anger; I just gazed calmly at the scene.

"You're right let's skip the small steps. Put your hands on me again, and my bullet would had a nice chat with your head. Got it?" Wally swallowed loudly. Then Jinx chuckled at his face. She put her gun away.

"Raven, Fox!" she called, "You better get going." She walked back into the house with Koi following.

"Good luck, Raven." Kori told me giving me a thumbs up.

I looked at Fox and nodded. I slipped into the driver's seat. Roy leaned on my window.

"Still you think you're crazy." He said.

"Aw…and you still under estimate me." I sped off into the night. Fox gave me the directions and soon we were in front of a club called "Zone 23". I parked the car in the nearer empty alley. As we walked through the back door, Fox immediately gave directions.

"You stay on the ground floor. I'll take the other two." And then I was alone.

I looked around. I was an inch from the dance floor. I could tell that it would be hard with the crowd. It was Friday night.

Then I felt myself being dragged on the dance floor in the middle of the crowd.

"Wha-"

"Wrap your arms around me and try to blend in." said a voice in my ear. I relaxed instance.

"Robin, what are doing?" I asked while dancing, looking discreetly. "You know this is North Angel territory." He chuckled in my ear softly.

"All the better." He said. "Terra wanted me to stir up a little trouble over here."

The song slowed and we started to sway.

"This is dangerous. Get out now!" I demanded.

"Go some where with me tonight." I pulled back but he jerked me back to him. I scowled as I leaned my head onto his chest.

"What are you talking about?" I said through my teeth.

"Later, when you meet me, I want to take you some where. Will you come with me?"

"Will it get you out of here?" I asked. I didn't show but I was terrified of what would happen if Fox found us.

"Yes." He said stopping us slowly.

"Then I'll go." He smiled. My heart sped up. He kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." He said against my skin. Then he disappeared in the crowd.

I tapped my foot while waiting in our clearing. I accepted the fact it was no longer only mine. It irritated me at first of how I was acting so crazy lately but I just stopped wasting my time and accepted it. I heard soft foot steps coming towards me. I stood up and met Robin halfway.

"Hey there, beautiful." I was glad for the lack of light to hide my blushing. I've heard that statement a million times but it only sounded blush-worthy from him.

"Hey there handsome." I told him. His face lit up in a heart stopping smile. I looked away before I started staring at him like some fan girl.

"So, where are to taking us?" I asked him. He grabbed my hand and led me out the meadow and to the park near it. In one of the street lamp's light, was a motorcycle. He walked over to it and picked up a spare helmet, holding it out to me.

"You'll see." I grabbed the helmet and fastened it.

"Just to let you know, I've never ridden these before." His eyes widened in surprise.

"No." I nodded. "How…"

"I was always more interested in cars." I explained. He sat on the bike, patting the seat behind him.

"Well go thing you not driving." I sat on it. Suddenly we were speeding out the park. I gripped his waist tightly. He turned his head to me slightly, mocking me.

"Shut up." I told him. He turned his attention back to the road. I had to admit, the ride was fun. It was exhilarating riding behind him. Especially when he did sharp turns. A few minutes later we arrived at a place called "Swing!"

I got of the bike and walked closer. I heard Robin putting down the kick stand. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You wanna go in?" he asked. I nodded. His arms let my waist and he grabbed my hand instead. He led us through the doors. I was surprised by the place. The lights were dimmed and candles lit the tables. There was a platform with a band. Tables surrounded the dance floor. Most of the people were twice our age. Once the band started to play I knew where we were.

We were in a jazz club.

"A jazz club?" I said. Out of all the places I guessed Robin would take me, I would've never guessed this.

He nodded and motioned to one of the tables. I sat down and looked at him. He motioned to one of the waitresses. I didn't pay attention to what he said to her. I was too busy staring at him. He looked great in sunlight, handsome in moonlight, but he looked best in candle light. The shadows that casted on his face softened his features. They lit up the spark in his eyes, making his blue eyes mesmerizing. I didn't realize I was staring at him until he spoke.

"What are you thinking, Raven?" I snapped out of my daydream. I looked away embarrassed. He caught my chin and made me look back at him. He stared at me while stroking my face. He was trying to make me less embarrassed. It was working.

The waitress placed to bottles of Smirnoff in front of us. I took a sip, still watching him.

"How often do you come here?" I asked softly trying not to disturb the atmosphere.

"Not very often. Or at least until I met you." He said. "Then I've been coming here every other night." I tilted my head, curious of the reason he started coming to here because of me.

Sensing my next question, he answered, "I needed to be somewhere where I could think of you without someone getting suspicious. This is the only place The South's Sin doesn't know about." Well that explains a lot. It was comforting for me to know he was going just as crazy as I was.

The band started a new song; the notes seemed familiar. Robin motioned to the dance floor that wasn't too full.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked with a small smile. I nodded yes. He grabbed my hand. Once we were on the dance floor, I started to move. Robin furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I stopped. I just realized that I was instinctively doing a waltz. I grimaced at my instincts. I've been to way too many formal dances in my life. Robin laughed a little.

Wordlessly, he placed my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me.

I leaned my head on his chest, feeling more comfortable. We slowly swayed. The notes soothed me. I felt drowsy. I closed my eyes. I remembered when we first danced. The song the band was playing now matched it perfectly. Then I realized lazily, it was the same song.

I smiled at the difference between the two dances. Although the first one was magical in its own way, this dance was better. It was more magical by the fact that me and Robin, Richard, weren't hiding behind a mask this time. I wasn't looking at a stranger.

I lifted my head to look in Robin's eyes. When ours connected there was a sudden intensity about it. I couldn't explain it if I tried. Everything disappeared the moment it happened. I couldn't even remember my own name. I was drowning those blue eyes. Subconsciously, I moved closely to him. He leaned his forehead against mine. He let out a breath, warming my entire body with fire. It was like my blood was blazing under my skin. I gazed helplessly in his eyes. They were like a dark storm with an emotion I couldn't place.

The song ended and trance broke. Suddenly everything came back to me. I noticed that we stopped dancing. I cleared my throat. We stepped away from each other.

"Um…you ready to go?" he asked. I tried to form words but they wouldn't come out. So I nodded instead. He quickly wrapped his arm around my waist and led me back to his bike. The same fire was stilling burning in me.

The walk back to the meadow was silent. I snuck a gaze every few seconds. He did the same. When we looked at the same time the same intensity came over us. I stopped walking once we were in the meadow.

"That was the best date I've ever had Richard." I told him sincerely, "Thank you." He stepped closer to me until we were chest-to-chest.

"Your favorite is sapphire." He said. I thought back to when I was teasing him.

"_Not until you learn my favorite color."_

He guessed right. He looked me dead in my eye and said the right answer.

I nodded. I looked at the ground. He lifted my chin to make me look at him. He cupped my face and leaned in. I closed my eyes, as he kissed my lips. I immediately wrapped my arms around him, kissing him until I ran out of breath. I pulled back. I collapsed on to the ground. Richard landed on top of me with a shocked expression.

"Are you-"

"Shhh…" I told him. I silenced him by kissing him. He didn't say another word.


	8. Information

_Information_

Terra couldn't concentrate. She couldn't from the moment she woke up. There was something wrong in her gang. Like Jinx, she too was the leader. The first female leader the gang ever had. The fact didn't weaken them. It actually made them much stronger. But today something was off in her mind.

She looked across her Literature class and spotted Robin. He _looked _like he was concentrating but there was a distant look in his eyes that Terra could see. She narrowed her eyes. Whatever was wrong, she knew it had something to do with him. Her stomach turned at the thought. She didn't know if she could handle if that was the truth.

Robin was one of the best people she had. She knew she could trust him. And she wasn't including the short time they dated. He was amazing…but she knew anyone could turn on her. She grimaced and turned around in her seat.

_You better not turn on me, Robin,_ Bre thought, _don't make me kill you._

Across town Jinx was analyzing Raven. Raven seemed normal (or as normal as a billion-dollar heir could be in Detroit) but she seemed…_happy._ She didn't seem to have that certain edge to her, like it was smoothed out. Jinx didn't like it.

"Raven," she called in the hallway. Raven turned to her while walking. Jinx glared at her. Raven glared back with her usual hostility. Jinx nodded in approval. She didn't know what was going on but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Jinx took out her phone and texted Kori.

Keep ur eyes open around Newbie.

She smiled as it sent._ Watch your back newbie. _

Kori received the message and got an uneasy feeling. She had to warn Raven. She didn't know why but she felt she could trust Raven and vice versa. She closed her phone and sighed. The last time she had to do this, it didn't turn out anywhere near good. "Watch your back, Raven." She said to herself, "Don't let her catch you."

*****

_My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest. And it wasn't all from the run. I was about to make it to the meadow when a pair of arms circled my waist. Me and Robin went tumbling to the ground. I laughed at him. He was sprawled on top of me. The look on his face was hilarious. He started laughing too. We stopped after a while. He stared at me and started to lean in. I put a finger t his lips. _

"_Get off Robin." I said. He groaned with frustration. He rolled off of me._

"_I thought you said you would stop doing that?" he said._

"_I never said that." He opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed it realizing I was right. He put his hands over his head and screamed in them. I laughed at his. He was so cute. I sighed and lowered myself until I was on top of him._

_I moved his hands. He looked at me with a dejected pout. I kissed his pout. Robin looked at me different. He leaned up and kissed me. I moved my hands to his hair. I pulled on it a little bit and felt him shiver. I smirked-_

"Raven," called Kori, "we need to talk." I refrained from slamming my locker. I hated when someone interrupted my thoughts. I knew I shouldn't have been thinking about his in school but it's harder than I thought it would be. I turned to Kori, hoping she would keep me distracted. Then I saw the alarmed look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She looked around and pulled me into the deserted classroom we sometimes went to talk. She slammed the door locking it behind her.

"We got a problem." She said. Kori rushed to my side. She leapt on a desk near her. "Jinx thinks you're up to something." I froze. Did she figure it out? She couldn't have, unless she knew where I lived. Or Fox saw us dancing-

I stopped thinking about it. I took breath and asked Kori, "What does think I'm doing?" Kori shrugged.

"She just sent me this text." She opened her phone and showed me the text.

Keep ur eyes open around Newbie.

I narrowed my eyes at the screen. I shook my head. Why does everybody like keeping me on a leash? I passed Koi back her phone. She was biting her lip.

"What?" I asked. She sighed.

"You have been acting a little stranger for a couple of days." Kori said. "What's going on?" I knew I should've denied it. I should've denied it. But I knew when I looked her that, I would crack. So I did the next best thing. I stayed silent. Kori's eyes widened. "You are doing something!" She looked out the door making sure no one was there. She looked me over. "Tell me." She said lowly.

I looked away from her, switching my gaze to floor. Kori huffed and jumped off the desk. She started to paced. Then she stopped suddenly. She walked to the whiteboard and started writing something. I didn't look up to see what it was.

"Is it anything like this?" she said. I finally looked up. On the board was a heart. Inside were the letters R+J. My heart sped up a little. My mind flashed back to the night with Justin.

"_So they love each other."_

"_Yeah, I guess they do."_

I shook my head my head. Kori must have thought I was shaking my head at her.

"Than what are you doing?" she asked. I looked at her. I stood up, walking to where she was. I picked up the marker and, hesitantly, wrote yes before quickly erasing the whole thing. Kori gapped at me. She checked the door before asking, "Do you want to tell me?" I looked down.

"No." She was going to ask. She has to wonder.

"Good," I was thrown a bit by her statement, "The less I know, the better for everybody."

I let out a breath of relief. The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. I didn't even realize we were in her for that long. I looked out the door before slipping into the hallway. When I finally made it to my next class, I sat next to unsuspecting Jinx.

"You know something," I said. She jumped at my voice. I didn't try to hide my smirk. "I got this funny text about a newbie. We have another person coming in?" She scowled, not answering.

I faced the front of the class. I knew I would be treading on dangerous ground but as they say:

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Leo walked out of his Literature class with ease. He let his mind wander aimlessly. But like every other time, it always went back to his nightly meeting with _her._ Raven always seemed to be in the back of his mind everywhere he went. True to his words, she _was _different from all the others. She had a certain enticing and edgy manner to her. And that always made him go crazy. And her body, every bit of the perfection she was raised to have, made him even _crazier_. But all thoughts were out on pause, as a hand touched his shoulder. I was the hand that always loved to rest on his shoulder so Terra could get his attention.

Robin turned around to look at his partner.

"Yes, Terra?" he asked with the flirtatious tone she loved to hear and he hated to give. He and Terra use to date but it all ended quickly with her constant bugging and the fact that they weren't equal. True the girl could hold her own and he liked that. Just not the way she would want his to be her lap dog. Terra smiled at him.

"I just wanted to talk about the races coming up." She told him. He knew she didn't care about that. "You're going, right?"

"I go every year, Terra, and I win all the races. You'll get your money." He said. Terra raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on with you? For the past few days you've been acting strange." She said bluntly. Her voice had an edge of irritation. _Uh oh_, he thought. When she gets like this, it means she's on to something. And right now she was on to him. He sighed, preparing for the best acting he would probably do in his life.

"I'm just frustrated. My dad got me doing some business stuff for him. He's already bossing me around. I don't need it from you." He started to walk away. _3…2…1…_he heard her fast steps follow him. Terra walked in front of him.

"What are saying?" she said to him.

"I'm not your lap dog. Stop acting like I am!" he told her. Terra's blue eyes filled with hurt and anger. Robin sighed playing his part. "Sorry. Yeah I'll be at the races. You wanna ride with me?" he asked. Terra thought about before saying yes. He nodded.

"You have the weirdest mood swings, Robin." She said before kissing his cheek. Robin forced a smile. Once he rounded the nearest corner, he wiped the kiss of like it was poison. He didn't realize that Terra saw it all.

_I knew it,_ she thought. She walked through the school's back door. Terra ran the rest of the way to her destination. She didn't stop until she reached a two story house on the North side of town.

I raced to the meadow that night. I got there first and had to wait five minutes for Robin to show up. He ran to me.

"We got a problem." He said as a greeting. I nodded.

"Jinx knows something's up." I told him. His eyes widened.

"That's not good."

"I know but I'll get her to doubt-"

"No, it's not good because Terra thinks something's up too." My heart stopped for a second before speeding like I ran a mile in two minutes. I grabbed my hair in frustration. Robin dropped to the ground. The danger of our relationship was never as clear as it was at that moment.

I slumped down to the ground beside him.

"What are going to do?" I asked. He looked at me helplessly. He shrugged.

Neither of us wanted to mention the meetings. I don't even think I could bear it. I just scooted over to his side and laid my head on his shoulder. We stayed like that for the rest of the time. Nothing was said. No solutions were made.

Jinx walked into her house late as usual. She said a quick hello to her dad before going into her room. She closed the door but before she could turn on the lights, she felt someone watching her. Jinx turned to the window.

"What are you doing here?" she said to the figure leaning on her window seal.

"I need to talk to you-" Said the figure.

"How did you get in here? You know what, just get out." She told her.

"Jinx -"

"Get out, Terra!" she yelled softly. Jinx listened to see if her dad heard her.

"There's betrayal, Jinx." Bre told her, refusing to leave. Jinx looked at her. There was something wrong with her gang too?

"It's not impossible for betrayal on your part. Your South Sinners are pretty pathetic anyway." Terra brushed off the comment.

"Look, Jinx, I don't know _exactly _what going on but I know what ever it is, your gang is just as in trouble as mine." This got Jinx's attention.

"Are you saying someone is betraying me with your gang?" she asked. Jinx cocked her head to the side.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jinx nodded before her eyes turned hard.

"Get out." She said. "I don't need you messing with my head."

"I'm not messing with you, Jinx!" Jinx scoffed.

"Oh, please." She said, "You've been stirring up trouble in _my_ territory for the past two weeks."

"I wouldn't have come over here to do that. You _know_ that." Terra said pleadingly.

"Why should you believe you?" Jinx exclaimed. Terra's eyes softened a bit.

"Because you're my sister," She said softly. "I wouldn't mess with you that way. I thought you knew that." Jinx looked down. The sister card was low, even for Terra. She thinks she's on to something. _But I've got to think about my people first,_ Jinx thought.

"Things change, Terra," she said, "We may share the same blood, but that's it. Now get _out_." Terra looked down. She quietly exited the room through the room. Jinx sighed sadly. She always thought about what she would say to Terra when they met up again. This was not what she had in mind. Jinx pulled out a picture of her and Terra. It was when they were eleven and at the park. It was the last picture she had of her best friend. Her other half. Her twin.


	9. History

Chapter 10:_ History_

"Oh great," Kori said, "Jinx's having one of days again." I looked at Jinx. She was walking down the hallway. She didn't look right. She was dressed like Jinx; she looked like Jinx; but she was…unsure of herself (gasp!). It was unsettling knowing this. Between last night and this morning something must have shaken her up. Badly.

"Why she like this?" I asked. This change was kind of dramatic for Jinx. Kori just shrugged it off.

"She gets like this sometimes. No ones ever figured out why but she does." She said. I leaned back against my locker with a questioning look. Kori saw it. "Raven, don't."

"I think I could find out." I said. Kori shook her head at me.

"Don't. Do you realize how much trouble you could into?" I raised my eyebrow.

"You act like that's ever stopped me before." I walked purposely towards my next class.

Robin spotted Terra. She had a dejected look on her face. He sighed. _Here we go again,_ he thought. Robin walked up to the leader. She looked at him with sad eyes. Robin bit his lip. Don't get him wrong he wasn't on the best terms with Terra but he still cared about him. She was the closest she came to a best friend he had in the gang. He squatted down in front of her.

"Now I don't know about you but I think it's a pretty nice day out." He told her. She sighed.

"Not for me." She said. Terra turned away from him. Robin gripped her shoulders. He knew she would never tell him what happened, so he just gave her a hug. She let out a few tears but she didn't show her weakness. Robin looked down at her. Terra didn't look fragile to him. He can't remember the lat time she did. She was like Raven in that aspect.

He only knew Raven for a month now and what he's seen of her already, he knew she hated being weak. _I wonder why_, he thought. He didn't focus on that for long because for the moment, whether he liked it or not, Bre needed him. He'll find out the answer later.

I laughed at a story Koi was telling me of her life in France, in the classroom we always went to, Room 21(our personal safety zone). She lived there until she was nine before she moved here. It was funny how hyper she was before she promised her mom she would meditate more when they moved to America. I could tell she missed living there. And I, personally, couldn't blame her.

"…and coach was always and forever trying to make me stop asking to play soccer with him. He tired out so easily it was ridiculous." She said. I nodded. Some coaches were like that. She sighed.

"Good times…" she trailed off having a distant look in her eyes. She must have been thinking about her times here before snapping out of her trance. I bit my lip before I let curiosity get the best of me.

"Kori…what was it like having Robin as a friend?" Kori stiffened at my question. A look of hurt filled her eyes. Kori leaned back against her chair breathing in deeply. We stayed like that for a few awkward moments. I was about to tell her to forget when she started talking.

"It was good." She said, "I remember when we first met…" She looked at me before continuing. "It was the day after I moved in. My mom took me to the park and he was there. He looked so sad. I went over and asked him what's wrong but he didn't say anything. So I just sat beside him. After a few minutes of sitting there, he finally turned to me and said 'Why are you still here?' I just shrugged and told him 'I'm just waiting for you to play with me' He looked at me weird. Then he asked how I knew he was going to play with him and I said 'because you're sad and you want to be happy'…" she smiled trailing off.

"From that day on we were friends. He was such a charmer. I'll admit I liked him for a little bit but I stopped after the first two months. We were the best of friends. His friend Victor and I were close. But, of course, it all changed when we went to high school…" She looked at me. "You get the picture."

I nodded. Kori tilted her head to the side. "Now that I think about it, Victor works out at your uncle's gym. Did you two met yet?"

I grimaced at the thought.

"Yeah, we met." I said. "We really hit it off." I smirked at the pun. Kori narrowed her eyes a little.

"You don't like him, do you?"

"It's a mutual dislike." Kori shook her head before laughing.

"You, my friend, are _way _too much." She told me.

"I wouldn't be your friend if I wasn't." I said. When the laughs died down another question came to my head. "Why was he sad that day?"

Kori thought about it before grimacing.

"His parents died a couple of weeks before." My eyes widened. "They were shot by some thug that wanted their money that night. Robin was with her." Kori looked down. I could tell it hurt her to know that. I felt the same way. Kori sighed.

"I loved Robin, like a friend, but I was always worried about that. He was always vengeful. He was always looking for a way to get revenge on the guy. He was sort of obsessed with it." Kori raised her head and I saw the fear in her eyes. "I don't think I could ever forget the day I went to his house and saw his room. It was covered with pictures of the guy; newspaper articles everywhere…I'm still scared that he's still trying to find revenge."

At that moment I realized that Robin wasn't telling me everything. That there was some part of him that I didn't know. _Well that's changing tonight_, I decided.

Robin walked into the mansion he called home. The place was like a castle except more modern. He was going upstairs when he heard his father call him.

"Richard," his dad said. Robin turned around on the stairs. Bruce Wayne was dressed in his usual pinstriped suit. He kind of looked like an older of Robin. They had the same dark hair, shape features, and toned body. The two would always have big differences between them since Robin wasn't really his son. He always had his mom's eyes. It was the feature Bruce loved about his first love.

"Yeah, Bruce?" Robin asked. Bruce took a deep breath before saying anything. Bruce was really close to Robin's parents. Robin's mother was first love in his life. Don't get him wrong, he loved Diana but he always had that part of his heart reserved for her. That also the reason he took her son in when she died. Bruce knew Robin's pain.

"Your parent's, um, anniversary is coming up." Robin looked away trying to stop the pain in his chest at the thought of his parents. "I was wondering if you were going to come to the cemetery with me this year." Bruce asked this every year. After the first time Robin stopped going and Bruce was left to grieve on his own. Robin wondered if his guardian would ever stop asking.

"I'll think about it." He said, like every other year. Robin turned around and continued going up the stairs to his room before the tears made there way to his eyes. Bruce sighed at Robin's pain. He reached in his jacket pocket, producing a picture of Robin and his fist love, Ava. He stroked Ava's face in the picture. _Oh Ava_, he thought, _he's just not the same._

Justin ran through the living room with my phone in his hands.

"Justin, I told you that you could only break that phone until I get another one. And that's not coming until month!" He didn't say anything as he handed it to me. I looked at the caller ID. It was dad.

I rolled my eyes in frustration. I pressed ACCEPT on the phone (even though I really hated hearing his voice).

"What?" I said sharply. I heard him chuckle at me. I grinded my teeth at him. Bastard.

"Come on, Raven. Surely you're happier than you sound."

"If you think that, than its wonder how you run a multi-billion dollar company." He laughed again. Let me tell you, there was nothing funny about it. A million and one emotions were inside of me when I heard his voice.

"What happened to the adorable little girl who used to run to the phone and leave me all those cute messages on my voicemail?"

"You killed her, you bustard!" I told him sharply. I didn't here him laugh this time. I smirked at the sudden silence. I heard him yell something than my mom was on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom." I said my tone softer than before.

"Hi sweetie! How's Gotham so far?" I thought about it.

"It's okay, I guess." There was silence on the other end.

"I miss you, Raven." My mom said to me. I scowled at the floor.

"I miss you too, mom." I told her. I did miss her. I love my mom but for the last few years there's always been that constant strain on our relationship. I know it's unfair for her to constantly force to pick either her husband or daughter but it never stopped her from getting into those situations with different results every time.

"So I was thinking," She said, "that since you have a break coming up, maybe you spend it at home…" I sat up straighter. They couldn't be serious.

"You can't be serious!" I heard my mom sigh.

"Please, Raven, we miss you."

"Dad misses nothing but the money out his wallet." I said.

"Raven-"

"No."

"Raven, please…I know it doesn't seem like it but your father really does love you-"

By the time she finished her statement the phone was already across the room and broken. I stood up and picked up the phone I just threw before dropping it. I smashed it even more. I went to my room and locked the door behind me. I took in deep breaths before I allowed my thoughts go back to what my mom said. My dad stopped loving me a long time ago. And it was too late for me to start loving him again.

The moon was full tonight, the stars surrounding it nicely. I tried to point out the constellations but it wasn't the same without Robin. I tried putting out the phone call from earlier out my head. I pulled at the ground trying to stop the hurt it caused.

I turned my head up to the tree above me. I got up and climbed up it. Once I was at the top, I started to look for Robin. I spotted him a few yards away. He had a painful look on his face until he got to the clearing. He breathed out and sat down, leaning on the tree trunk. He looked up and smirked at me.

He stood up.

"You mind if I come up?" I shook my head. He climbed up beside me on the same branch I was on. I was the same one he jumped down on the night that changed everything with us. I leaned back against the tree while he swung his feet. I wasn't sure how to approach the subject of his mom but I needed to know why he kept it from me, like his friendship with Kori. So like everything else I did that got me in trouble, I started by asking a question.

"Why didn't you tell me about being friends with Kori?" Robin looked at me, surprised by the question.

"How did you know about it?" he asked.

"Because somehow Kori knows how to trust me with certain information; because she's my friend. Don't you think that would've been nice for me to know that?" I asked him. He looked away.

"Does she know about us?" he asked quietly.

"No." I said. "Don't change the subject, Robin. Why didn't you tell me?" He sighed.

"It just didn't occur to me that you would've wanted to know that. My bad." I looked away from him. How could he be so nonchalant about this? I was giving him all he wanted to know, why was he editing stuff like this? He turned towards me.

"Since we're doing another round of truth, why are you always so serious when you're with people? You always have a scowl on your face! You're always so angry with everybody. If it wasn't for me being a witness, I would've thought you never smile." I jumped down from the tree. My face was hot with anger.

"You would understand if you met my parents." I started walking away. I felt his hand on my arm, stopping me. I turned to him.

"But I don't. And you don't talk about them. Ever. Why can't you tell me?"

"It's the same reason you didn't tell me about your mom. It hurts too much!" I exclaimed. Silence fell over us as he listened to what I just said. He swallowed hard.

"Kori told you…" I nodded. Robin walked a couple of steps away from me. I looked at the distance between us. Romeo and Juliet never made it to this part. They never made it to the part where they hurt each other. I walked over to the tree and leaned back against it. Robin did the same except he was farther than usual. Maybe we needed to be a little further tonight. I wordlessly leaned my head back. I was just on the verge of sleep when I felt Robin grab my hand and stroke it softly. I sighed. I knew that we would get no where tonight. We would talk about it. Just not today.

I turned to Robin who was as sleepy as I was. I scooted closer and leaned my head on his chest, finally comfortable enough to sleep.


	10. Painful Talks

_Painful Talks_

Time passes slower here in Gotham. What felt like years was really a couple of weeks. I looked at the gray sky in a gloomy mood. After me and Robin's fight, everything just seemed wrong. I know that we resolved it for now but it still felt wrong. At least this was the weekend Jinx didn't call me. I was walking around the city, the car left at home, thinking it would help. It didn't. I sighed and turned around jogging to Uncle Mike's gym, where the car was parked in its garage.

When I got there I saw Vic. He was alone, standing outside. I didn't know why but I walked up to him.

"Hey." I said. He nodded to me.

"Raven." He said. His eyes were blank with emotion. I stood there for a second, not really knowing what to say. I looked at where my car was parked.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked, pointing to my Aero. She looked too. Vic shrugged.

"I don't want to mess up your paint job." He said with a ghost of a smile on his face. I rolled my eyes.

"I could use the company. Besides," I smirked, "you mess up the paint, I break your wrist." Vic scoffed at me. We walked to my car and got in. The top was up along with the windows, making it dark.

"Kind of morbid for an heiress, don't you think?" Vic asked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I raised my eyebrow. I saw him turn forward in his seat.

"You don't seem like the type to be like the way you are. Or not from everything I've seen about you." I sighed. Of course he thinks I would be like all the other spoiled heiresses in L.A.

"I'm very different from what I look like or where I'm from." I told him. Silence enveloped us in the car. Vic told me the directions to his house. Soon we were out of town, somewhere in Northern Gotham , near the private estates. I turned to her. He saw me.

"What?" he asked. I turned back to the road.

"I didn't think you would live in an area like this." I said. Vic was quiet.

"I don't." he said softly, "My best friend does."

I stiffened in my seat. I'm going to Robin's house. I stayed quiet. With everything going on, now was not the best time to even see where he lived. We just needed a little distance. I heard Vic sigh.

"What happened between you two anyway?" he asked. "He's not as happy as he has been when he's with you. You guys had a fight?"

"Something like that." I answered. Vic took a breath.

"Well fix it." he said sharply. "He doesn't need to be anymore stressed than he already is. Not right now." I knew something was wrong with Robin. I wonder…

I shook my head. I don't need to know. Robin would tell me when he was ready. I slumped a little in my seat. I might have to wait forever for that one.

Finally we pulled up to a mansion, if it could even be called that. It was a palace in its own right. The place was beautiful. Vic started to get out.

"Thanks." he said. I just nodded. Once he was far away enough, I speed off.

Robin looked out his window at just the right time. He saw it. A jet black SSC Ultimate Aero IS with tinted windows. That was Raven's car. He saw Victor coming up the gate. He hurried down the stairs. When he got there, Victor was just coming in the house.

"What the hell were you doing?" he asked harshly. Vic ignored him and went to the kitchen. He followed. "Vic!"

"Hello to you too." he said in a dull tone. Robin was fuming as he walked up to him.

"What were you doing with her?!" he demanded. Victor rolled her eyes.

"She gave me a ride!"

"I thought you hated her!" Vic noticed the vein in Robin's neck about to burst.

"What's the big deal?" he asked.

"It's a big deal because…" he trailed off. Robin knew he was mad for nothing but he wouldn't admit it. He didn't have to. Victor saw it on his face.

"Robin," he turned to her, "I know you're still upset about your parents' but-" before she could finish Robin was already leaving. He ran to his room upstairs, ignoring Vic's calls. He slammed the door shut.

Vic heard it and sighed. _So much for helping_, he thought. He didn't bother Robin for the rest of the day.

At night, like usual, Robin snuck out the house. Robin wondered how he was going to make it through seeing Raven. Maybe he shouldn't go…

Robin shook the thought from his head. He wouldn't blow Raven of like that; not her. So he swallowed his pride, and went.

I watched as Robin came to the clearing. I took a deep breath before standing up. Before Leo could say anything, I pulled him out the clearing. He didn't fight me as I did. I pulled him until we were in alley. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Get in." I said simply. I got in and watched as he did. We sat there for a moment quickly.

"You gonna tell me where we're going?" he said softly. I didn't answer. I just pulled out the alley silently.

I drove out the city. Robin was quiet beside me. The silence was deafening in the car. I hoped he would have said something. I peered at him from the corner of my eye. I held back a sigh at what I saw.

He wasn't the same guy I've been seeing for the last month. He was someone who was haunted by the shadows of there past. Someone who's been hurt past repair in more ways than one. Someone like me. I hated that fact. I pulled up near the most remote part of the pier. I stopped the car and got out. Robin followed me.

I leaned on the rail. The moon reflected off the water beautifully. It was ironic since obviously the moment wasn't. I turned to Robin. He was looking down at the water. His eyes held a deep and ancient sadness. He spoke before I could say anything.

"Why did you bring me out here?" He said. He lifted his face, looking me in the eye. I shrugged.

"We obviously need to talk. I wanted us to be really alone, away from everyone." I told him. He sighed. Silence fell over us again. I looked at him before opening my mouth to say something.

"I didn't mean to bring up your parents that day." I said softly, trying not to disturb the quiet between us. Robin looked away. I was about to say something else when he started to speak.

"It's funny how you brought it up on that day, though. Ironic, really." He said with a hint of a laugh. I raised an eyebrow at him. "That was the same day Bruce asked if I wanted to go see my parents at the cemetery." I bit my lip. I knew it hurt him to say it out loud. I moved closer to him. He looked at me before returning his gaze the water.

"What happened to them?" I whispered. I was a little afraid to ask. I didn't want to hurt him. He sighed.

"We were coming home from a day at the park. I had a rubber ball and it slipped out my hand. It rolled down an alley. My dad tried to convince me to just leave it but it was one of my favorites. I didn't want to lose it…

"My mom just sighed and smiled at me. She grabbed my hand and we went into the alley. My dad followed. It went farther down than I thought. Next thing I know, some guy was walking down the alley towards us. I thought maybe he would help, until he pulled out a gun. He tried to rob us but my dad said we didn't have anything he'd want. They moved it front of me, trying to protect me…

"The robber yelled at them, threatening her that he would shoot me. And they-" he broke off. His breaths were shaky. He didn't need to tell me the rest. I could see it in my mind. His parents shielding him; the robber pulling the trigger; Robin seeing the whole thing unfold before him. I could see a tear going down his face. His grip on the rail looked painful. It probably was.

I couldn't think about anything except his pain. I hugged him. He held me tighter. It felt like he was making sure I stayed there with him. I felt a slight smile on my face, despite the situation, glad he wanted me to hold on. I didn't say I'm sorry. Instead I said something else.

"At least you know they loved you when they died." I said softly. "At least you're lucky enough to have that." He pulled back a little. I looked at his face.

"It's not hard to find." I shook my head.

"You're wrong." I told him. He looked at me before understanding.

"Your dad…" I took a deep breath.

"He loves what I could bring him." I turned to Robin. "My dad was the greatest guy I ever knew…until I was eight. That was when the company went from good and pretty big to a giant multi-billion dollar company. He thought that I should 'travel the world. Explore new things.' And I did. Then I realized he was just trying to get me out the way." I chuckled humorously.

"That was when everything went down with us. I got tired of never being home. I wanted to come home. With my dad, any defiance against him is a crime. So I started to rebel against the riches I was surrounded by. That's when I got into building cars. My dad, of course, hated it. I stilled rebelled. It's a constant circle of punishment and rebellion with us…" I trailed off. Robin nodded. I was kind of nervous bring up the next part of the whole story. But I knew he needed to know.

"Once he thought that I was old enough, he started trying to marry me off." Robin's eyes widened. I held up my hands. "Hey, I wouldn't be here in I was engaged." He blew out a sigh of relief. I laughed at him. It fell off my face slowly as he motioned for me to continue.

"He was close with the first one. The guy was Daitaro. It means 'Great first born son' in Japanese. Part of my dad's side of the family is from there. My dad always loved to customs of Japan, which included marrying your daughter young. My dad thought I should date him before we got married, so it wouldn't look arranged. I was all for it. I thought he was amazing." I smiled bitterly. "So we met and were dating for 6 months…Then he came to my house one day when nobody was there. He was mad about something and tried to boss me around. I started to argue with him. And then…" I trailed off trying to stop the anger that filled me. But I only spoke over it.

"He hit me." I said simply. I didn't look at Robin as I finished the story. "I was too shocked to do anything. He hit me some more before my dad bust in the room and dragged him off of me. My dad injured him before calling the cops. He's still in jail, as far as I know.

"My dad sent me to Japan to see my grandfather for a year. When I came back, I was sure I had my _real _dad back…until he set up another engagement 3 months later. After the seventh try he sent me here until I finished high school and until I wasn't his problem anymore." I finished. Robin was speechless. He collected himself a moment later.

"Wow." He said. I laughed at his answer breaking the tension in the air. I sighed.

"We kinda messed up, aren't we?" Robin didn't say anything. He just wrapped his arms around me. I held onto him. Without realizing it, tears fell down my cheeks.

"Why does he hate me?" I said quietly. Leo tightened his gripped as I cried.

He pulled back, suddenly, pressed his lips to mine. He kissed me so intensely. I tried to find the answers to my question as I kissed him Instead I found out that I didn't need them. All I needed was Robin. I kissed him back so fiercely I was surprised myself.

Something filled my body. It was a weird feeling. It was warm and sweet but I didn't know what it was. Whatever it was, I didn't want it to stop. I pulled away from Robin. He was just as breathless as I was. I smiled at him before pulling away and walking towards the car. I heard Robin follow me.

I drove us back to the clearing. I jumped out happy that everything was finally off my chest. Robin grabbed my hand, leading me back to the clearing. He started climbing up the tree in the center. It reminded of something. I smirked, thinking of what I was going to do. I walked under it and looked up.

"Can't say hi?" I asked playfully. Robin smiled. He pretended to think about his response.

"Was I supposed to say something?" he asked equally playful.

"Yeah."I told him. "You're supposed to come down and greet me. Then I'm supposed to kiss you." He jumped down from the tree and stood slowly stood up. He smirked at me.

"Well if you insisted." He trailed off. He leaned in slowly. I crashed my lips against his quickly, too impatient to wait. Robin pulled away.

"Hey!" he said sounding offended. I took a step away, wondering why he pulled away. "You weren't supposed to kiss me yet." I rolled my eyes. He was back to normal.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I was building up the moment! You can't just rush into it you have to do it slowly…" I stopped listening as I rolled my eyes. I just shook my head and made him shut up again.

*****

Robin slipped back up to his room the next morning. His smiled was still in place from last night. He entered his room and stopped. He was surrounded by pictures and newspaper clipping. They all had to do with the same thing. His mother's murder.

It wasn't creepy to him anytime before. But now it seemed kind of disturbing. He started taking down some of the pictures. He finally reached the last one few but stopped himself.

What if he forgot the murder, Slade? Could he allow himself to do that? He shook his head. No, he couldn't. Leo threw out everything in his hands but looked at the few remained. He wasn't that healed.

Robin dragged himself to bed, suddenly too tired to stay up. He knew that there would be a nightmare of the night when his parents died. He expected it. Instead, as soon as he fell asleep, he dreamed of someone else, as he had ever since he met her. As Raven filled his thoughts, a small smile found its way to his face.


	11. Cloudy Distance

_Cloudy Distance _

It was funny how two months in Gotham could make me feel so foreign at home. I sat in the sitting room (even though we never really sit in it) watching the party around me. I sighed. I looked at my watch. 8:56 p.m. Right now I could have been curled up in Robin's arms at our clearing. But no. I was stuck here in Los Angeles, California. If I hated Gotham, then I loathe LA.

I felt someone sit next to me. I looked over and rolled my eyes. It was the only the most social ladder climbing, obnoxious, spoiled princess I've ever met. The green eyed, blonde herself, Mimi Van Allen.

"Raven!" she said. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around lately."

"I haven't been around lately." I said. I didn't try to pretend that I was happy with her here. I wanted her gone. She, apparently, didn't get the memo.

"Yeah, I heard you got sent off to Gotham-"

"And I heard that I would break your arm if you didn't get out my face!" I snapped at her. Her eyes widened in shock. I stood up, but she, foolishly, tried to block my path. Mimi grabbed my arm and narrowed her eyes at me. If I wasn't me, I probably would've been scared. But I was and I wasn't scared.

"Who do you think you are?" she asked trying to sound dangerous. I narrowed my eyes back. I grabbed her hand in a crushing grip. She gasped a little at the pain.

"I think I'm the daughter of the person your daddy owes money to." It was true. Her dad's billionaire status was gone and now he was a multimillion. He would be broke if wasn't for my dad. I smiled evilly at her.

"You know, I could break your wrist if I wanted to." I said putting more pressure on her wrist. "But I won't." I let go and she stumbled to the ground. Wordlessly, I walked out the room. I went up to my room, ignoring the people around me. Once I was there, I slammed the door shut. Then, it was quiet.

I leaned my head on the door, sighing. I walked through the penthouse to the balcony. I sat down on the ground feeling the longing I felt all night grow more profound. The music pulsed from below. I closed my eyes, wondering where Romeo was. Didn't he come so he could give his famous moonlit speech? Where was he?

My shoulders sagged. I knew Robin wasn't coming. I told him not to. Robin needed to stay home because of his mom's death anniversary. I leaned against the ground with my eyes closed. I might as well let the grief of that thought alone swallow me up-

I heard a thud near me. I was careful to make it seem that I didn't notice. The person came closer to me. The presence seemed familiar. Maybe it was Robin!

My hope was deflated as soon as I heard a familiar beat knocked on the ground. I sighed. It was just Karen. She was coming to get me to save me from this stupid party.

"Come on, Rae." She whispered. "Roy's waiting at the spot." I opened my eyes and scowled. She just shrugged of my bad mood. I checked the lock on my door. Once my room was secured with the cameras tricked to think I was there, I ran across the roof of my house, into the night as silent as a thief.

Roy and Wally were playing cards when we arrived at the garage. They looked up and started to walk to there cars. I got out.

"What's going on?" I asked confused. Roy stopped, looking at Karen.

"Didn't you tell her?" I turned to Karen. She scowled at Roy before she turned to me.

"I was going to wait 'til she got here, so…" she grabbed my hands and started jumping up and down. "We're going to San Diego to Mossy Ford-"

"No." I didn't feel like doing another carjack tonight. Karen's good mood vanished.

"Why?" she whined, "They just got a shipment of Saleens! You always wanted one!"

"I can buy one." I said dryly. She scowled at me. I never bought cars.

"Please!" she begged, "I want to go! I wanted a Saleen for FOREVER! This is the perfect time to go and you've been so down lately, I thought this would cheer you up-" She babbled endlessly until I gave up.

"ALRIGHT, I'LL GO IF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed. Karen immediately shut up as my scream echoed off the walls. Wally breathed out a sigh of relief. I walked back to Karen's car. I sulked in the passenger's seat as Karen entered, beaming. She immediately reversed out the garage and rode at our average (100 mph). We would be there in an hour.

She looked at me before patting my hand. I looked at her with a glare. She just smiled sadly.

"It'll be fun, I promise!" she said trying to reassure me. It didn't work. That was the last she tried for the rest of the ride.

*****

We arrived at the dealership with the usual. Our tools, head-to-toe in black, and a clear mind. No cars were with us. Avoiding the camera's as much as possible; we choose whatever cars we wanted. We picked the locks to the car doors before entering them and driving them out the lot. Then Karen would enter the office, with me knocking out security, and get the keys. Once we were out we brought the cars to an empty lot, making sure they were clear of evidence. We deal with the legal items the next morning.

I sighed before nodding to the other. We moved. The get in, take the prize, and get out instinct came back automatically. I felt the rush of the possibility of getting caught, even though we never did. Then it came to choosing. I looked quickly at the Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo. Karen gave a thumbs up. I smiled before I looked and saw a black Corvette ZR 3ZR. I knew Leo would love it.

I shook my head. I had to keep it clear. But still…

I growled in frustration, turning back to Karen. She was just getting the keys. I ran running to get the keys to the Corvette. Karen gave me a look that said "What are you doing?" I knew I had to figure out a way to get the two out. I grabbed the Saleen keys. Running searching through the tools, I had to hurry before the security caught on. Which happened after the first half hour. I had on five minutes.

I grinded my teeth as I searched. Finally I saw a chain. It was long enough to attach the car. Without thinking it through, I started to attach the cars together. Roy tapped my shoulder. It was the signal for two minutes. I ran to my car (the Saleen) and revved it up. Needless to say, we drew some attention. The chain and car was weighted down by the weight of the Corvette.

I cursed. That was stupid! Why did I do that? Suddenly I felt the weight lift off the back of the car. Soon enough I saw Karen driving beside me. Security told us to slow down but we ignored them speeding down the highway back to the garage. After we escaped the lot, she motioned for me to roll down the window. I did.

"YOU OWE ME A CAR!" she screamed. I smiled at her.

"THANK YOU!" I yelled back.

When Roy was pissed, you knew it. So I knew what to be prepared for when we got back.

"What was that?!" he said. His face was as red as his hair. I sighed.

"Sorry, Roy. I had to get that car." Roy stepped away from me. He shook his head before leaving. I knew he had to cool off for a while. A few minutes later, I walked over to Karen. She was standing in front of the "parking lot". It was where we stowed all our cars.

"Hey Kare Bear." Karen turned to me. "Thanks for doing that." She smiled at me. I raised my eyebrow. It was way too innocent. Karen held up a set of keys.

"I meant what I said about that car." My eyes widened. She wanted to get one of my cars from the lot.

"No!" I said. I tried to snatch back the keys but she pulled them out of my reach.

"Oh no," she told me, "You owe me." I scowled at her. She smiled at that and opened the doors.

I heard the door open and Roy was back.

"On, Roy, you're just in time." Said Karen. Roy raised an eyebrow.

"Raven is giving Kay one of her cars for payback." Said Wally, whose been quietly working on his car design. He's always quiet when he's designing.

Roy got an incredulous look on his face before busting out laughing.

"Oh, I have to see this." He said. Karen walked into the lot. I looked around nervously. I loved all my cars. I glared at Karen. I hate when she gets revenge. I closed my eyes waiting for her to pick. She looked around in my area of cars going from my Ferraris, to the Lamborghinis, then the Aston Martins…until she finally found it.

"I want that one!" she exclaimed. I opened my eyes to where she was pointing. I yelped at the one she chose. She was pointing at my Koenigsegg CCX Ultimate Edition. I tried to hold in my next statement but it slipped out.

"No! Not that one!" I whined. Wally and Roy laughed at me. I shot a glare at them. Karen shook her head.

"I'm gonna need you to give me the key." She handed me the key ring in her hand. I slowly took the key off and handed it to her. She had to snatch the key away from. She then jumped up and down excitedly towards my-I mean _her_-car. "Oh my god! I'm getting Kane to legal this right now!" She drove out the lot before I could protest. I sunk to the ground on my knees, thinking of Darth Vader as I screamed.

"NNNNOOOOOOOO!" I yelled, the echo bouncing off the walls. Wally and Monty laughed as they exited. I stayed there until I couldn't take the silence anymore. My head was clear of thoughts about my car but instantly filled with new thoughts of someone else. I grabbed my new car keys. Wally looked at me.

"Where are you going?" he asked. I looked at him with a blank expression.

"Out." I stated. Roy looked up from what he was doing. He nodded. He knew where I would be. Without another thought, I was gone.

In a hour I was sitting on top of my Saleen S7 at the border of California, looking at the sign that said YOU ARE NOW LEAVING CALIFORNIA.

I let my mind wander aimlessly. But no matter how much I tried to think of something, my mind always went back to Robin. My stomach dropped every time I thought about him. A smile came to my face when I thought about our conversations. I remembered how he would think I was asleep and would tell me anything. He told me how crazy he thought he was, his fears, how jealous he feels when he can't be with me publicly. Everytime he confesses another secret, I feel more protective of him. Like he's fragile no matter how strong he acts. Maybe we're both like that. Maybe that's why I like him so much. Like isn't even the right word. Its way more than that…

I heard a car approach me. I turned my head. It was Karen in her yellow Camaro. She parked next to me, got out, and sat on the hood without saying anything. We stayed like that, neither one of us breaking the silence between us. It wasn't awkward. It was actually pretty comfortable. But unfortunately, silence and Karen don't mix for well.

"What's his name?" she asked. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh don't give me that look!" she chastised. I chuckled at her.

"What guy?" I asked. She gave me her famous "you know what I'm talking about" looks. I sighed. "I'm not telling."

"So there is a guy!" She exclaimed. It just hit me that she didn't really know until I said that. God, I felt like an idiot. "Tell me." I shook my head.

"Come on, Raven! You never had a guy you've actually liked except…" she trailed off at my glare. It was an unspoken vow. No one, I mean no one, mentions Daitaro, or X as he was commonly called, ever. Especially not to me.

Karen looked away in shame. She was hurt the most because she pushed me to him the most. I know she blames herself for what happened. It wasn't. It was his.

"I know." I told her. A new silence took over us. This time is _was _awkward. It was filled with things we hated to feel. It was filled with reasons why I joined the garage in the first place. To escape it.

"Can you just give me a hint?" I jumped at Karen's voice, not expecting her to speak. I thought about it. What would be a good hint for Karen? It's something that needs to be obvious but kind of hidden. I smirked as I thought of the perfect one.

"'_Tis but thy name that is my enemy…'_" I looked up at Karen. "_'Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, _

_Which mannerly devotion shows in this; _

_For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,_

_And palm to palm is a holy palmers' kiss…'_"

Karen gave me a dumbfounded look. I knew she wouldn't figure it out, and if she did, it would take her a while to get. It's not everyday you're told a Shakespeare quote (First quote, Romeo & Juliet: Act 2 Scene 2. Second quote, Romeo & Juliet Act 1 Scene 5)

Call me a cheesy romantic but Act 1 Scene 5 was the best scene in the entire play. It was when they first kissed. It was my darkest secret that I memorized the scene. I don't see how the balcony scene was called the best…well maybe in the 1996 version.

"What does that mean?" Karen asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. You'll have to figure it out." I told smugly. She huffed and crossed her arms. I laughed at her.

"Come on, let's go." She said, moving towards her car. "Roy's waiting to start designing. He doesn't like you being out here alone, you know." I shook my head. Roy…always looking out for me.

I slid off the hood, entering my car. I looked at the sign fir the last time before driving back to the garage. Each mile was harder than the last to leave behind.

I shut my eyes tightly. _Two more days, _I chanted in my head, _just two more days…_


	12. Umbrella

_Umbrella_

Robin was walking stiffly to the place he knew by heart but didn't visit since he was ten. Since his parents' funeral. Robin held his breath as he got closer to his mother's grave. Bruce looked at Robin with a heavy sadness. Neither of them pretended to be okay. Both were hurt beyond words at the lost.

Bruce Wayne stood in front of the grave with his Ava's favorite flowers, white lilies. It seemed to embody her so well. The white's pureness seemed to be her touch. The pink inside reminded him how much of a lovable jokester she was. Bruce sighed as he placed the flower on her grave as he has done every year. He didn't say anything. He never had to with Ava. She always knew what he was trying to say…

Bruce turned to his Robin. Robin looked lifeless and as pale as the grey sky above them. He placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. Robin looked at him with a hollow expression.

"I'll be at the house," he told his son. Robin never heard his guardian's voice so raw. He never knew the depth of his Bruce's pain. Robin never wanted to.

"I think you need to have a moment alone." His father said before turning back to the house.

As soon as Bruce was out of sight, Robin fell to the ground on his knees. Robin opened the wound he felt every time on this day. He wanted to cry but he couldn't. He just stared at his parents' gravestone. He touched the words on it.

Ava Gabriel Grayson

1974-2006

A great daughter, wife, friend, & mother

Aiden Clyde Grayson

1972-2006

A great son, husband, friend, & father

Gone but never forgotten…

Robin's throat thickened at the words. He could remember that night clearer than he wanted to.

_Robin was scared out his eight year old mind. The mugger held a gun and pointed it at his dad. The blood was pounding in his ears so hard, he couldn't hear anything. His mother clutched his hand firmly in hers. The mugger was saying something but he couldn't hear him. _

_Everything felt different in an instant. One moment everything was normal with him playing with his favorite ball. The next it's in slow motion, as his mother screamed no and pushed his dad out the way. The mugger pulled the trigger. Then his mom was on the ground as his dad caught the mugger nearly killing the guy. Robin was over his mom screaming her name._

"_Mom!" he yelled. The bullet was in the middle of her chest. She gave him on last weak smile before she was dead. _Robin_ knew that she was dead the moment she let go of her last breath._

_He looked over to his father. The mugger pushed his dad off of his and shot him instantly. "Dad!" young robin cried. No, he thought, mom needs you to save her. The mugger looked over at Robin and did a sadistic wave before running out the alley. Robin wouldn't ever forget his face. He turned his attention to his parents who were both on the ground, dead in there own pools of blood._

_He screamed to the heavens hoping they would hear him. He hoped that his parents would just wake up and comfort him. But, of course, his mercy never came…_

Robin couldn't take it. He ran. He ran away from everything, not stopping for fear that his guilt would caught up to him. But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't escape the merciless pain that beat in chest. He didn't even know it was raining until his legs gave out under him and he toppled to the ground. He pulled himself up until he was on knees.

Robin didn't know where he was. He didn't care. He tried to breath but it just couldn't get into his lungs without the pain.

He killed him parents. If only he hadn't insisted on going in the alley. If only she wouldn't have jumped in front of the bullet. If only he listened to his dad…why? He thought as the tears came pouring down his face.

Soon a black Corvette pulled up in front of him. The driver's door opened and the driver walked around the car. He didn't notice until the rain was blocked by an umbrella. He looked up. Under the umbrella, stood Raven. She looked at him, her eyes reflecting the pain he felt.

"It'll cold out here." She held out her hand. "Come on."

He didn't hesitant to grab her hand. She pulled him up and walked him to the car. She got in the driver's seat and rode off in the rain. For the first time that day, Robin felt whole.

I stopped the car in front of the pier. The rain washed over the windshield hard. I could barely see three feet in front of me. I knew we were the only ones here. It was a miracle I could find Robin in this storm.

I looked at him. He just sat there as the tears ran down his face. His face was so hollow…it scared me. I felt this urge to suddenly protect him. It was strong than anything I've ever felt for him. I leaned over the stick shift and touched his face. He looked at me for the first time since I saw him in the rain.

I knew that he was blaming himself for his parents' death. But for some reason, I couldn't say any words of comfort. I was speechless. Not because I didn't want to comfort him but because I knew none of the words I would say would be right. And I hated that the stick shift was blocking us.

I climbed to the back of the car, patting the seat next to me as an invitation to Robin. He, wordlessly, followed. I touched his face again. I wiped a tear from his face. This time, instead of pulling away like I thought he would, he let out a painful breath.

Robin enveloped me in his arms tightly. I held just as tightly as he sobbed on my shoulder. A few tears of my own escaped my eyes. I didn't say anything. I just stroked his hair and held him for what seemed like forever.

After a while he stopped and was lying on my stomach.

I continued to stoke his hair, as the rain continued to beat on the roof of the car. I clutched his hand softly. He held it tightly, as if his life depended on it. And I knew I would never let go. Then, I finally knew the right thing to say to him.

"I'm here." I said softly, "I'm here."

We sat there in the back of the corvette with the rain. I knew the storm could go on all night. I didn't care. I knew I wouldn't move an inch if I didn't have to. I continued to stroke Robin's hair. He sighed sleepily. I knew he was exhausted from everything that happened. Anyone would be.

"Thanks." He said, his voice rough from crying. I was startled a little when I heard his voice. He didn't say a word since I showed up.

"You don't have to thank me." I smiled at him. He smiled weakly at me. He shifted until he was looking at the rain through the sun roof. He sighed.

"It always seems to rain the worst on this day." He said.

"Maybe it's Heaven sending its condolences." He was quiet. Then I heard him speak, his voice barely a whisper.

"Maybe it's my parents." He sat up. I looked at him confused. "Maybe they hasn't forgiven me." I grabbed his face. Suddenly I was angry.

"Don't." I said through my teeth. He looked taken aback at my tone. "Don't you _ever_ blame yourself for their deaths. It's not your fault! If that's them crying, it's because of the pain they can't comfort, not because they blames you for what happened."

He looked away from me. I let go of his face. Why can't he believe what I'm saying? Before I knew what he was doing, he crashed his lips to mine. The desperation in the kiss was scary. But another part of it wasn't. I didn't fight him as he kissed me. I never did. I never could.

He kissed me until I was dizzy. When he pulled back I was panting and my lungs were about to burst from no air. I leaned my head against the window to steady my breathing. What just happen? I asked myself.

I looked at Robin. He was trying to steady his breathing but never looked away from me. His gaze sent shivers down my spine. He was trying to find a safe place in me.

He leaned forward again. I looked down quickly. Something about what was happening was different than anything between us. It was deeper.

Robin kissed my jaw. My eyes closed. He kissed me up to the corner of mouth. I held back a sigh. I urged him to kiss me. I looked at him. He was giving me a choice to kiss him or not. I didn't have to think about my chose.

I kissed him without hesitation. I knew this would distract him from his pain. If this was all I could do, then I would do it for him. Only for him. He responded with the same passion. I bit his bottom lip softly. I heard him moan and smirked. I kissed him cheek and moved down his neck until I felt his pulse under my lips. I kissed it tenderly.

For a brief second I felt connected to him. Like I was part of his heart beat. I sighed and let my head rest there remembering what happened earlier.

I frowned at the thought of Robin crying. I never want to see him cry ever again. I would _never_ make him cry again, I promised myself. I closed my eyes and the events of the day caught up with me. I was _exhausted_. I was too busy comforting Robin to even realize how tired I was.

Robin hugged me to his chest. Hew must have known how tired I was. He must have a sixth sense for this type of stuff.

_Only with you,_ a small voice in the back of my head said. I smiled at the thought. I drifted off to sleep quickly after that.

My dream was weird. I was watching Pocahontas with Justin. But instead of John Smith and Pocahontas, it was me and Robin. I watched as we met, talking, fell in love…then I watched as everything fell apart.

The scene was with Robin getting shot. But instead of being okay, he pulled his hand away and blood covered it. I jumped to his side. I tried to stop it but nothing I did worked. Then it was too late, as I watched Robin get the look of a dead man in his eyes. A searing pain entered my chest. A heart pounding, blood curdling scream escaped from my lungs.

I woke up startled by the disturbing dream. I tried to control the raw fear I felt enter my chest. Robin sat up.

"What's wrong?" he asked me. I looked at him hiding nothing. I hugged him tightly, tears threatening to fall. The rain lightened a bit outside.

"Bad dream." I said.

"What happened?"  
"I can't remember but I know it was terrible." I lied. He stroked my hair softly, comforting me.

"You'll be okay." He said, "It's just a dream." But I wasn't okay. It was just a dream. It was a reality that we both didn't want to realize. There would be a point where I and Robin would be forced to hold each other to a gun point. The threat was always there but we always seemed to ignore it. We've been luck so far but it was a matter of time until it happened.

What would we do? Would we be forced to tell? How would it all end? I clutched Leo tighter.

I flashed back to when Justin and I first watched the movie. A tear made its way down my cheek as I thought back to it.

"_They are so stupid. Why in the world would they even like each other? They knew they would get caught." I looked away. It sounded like it was pointed at me, even though I knew Justin didn't know. "Why would they risk everything for each other?"_

"_Maybe they thought that it was worth it." I didn't realize I said that out loud until it was out. Justin faced me._

"_How would it be worth it? She's a princess, I guess, and he's a captain. Their lives are good."_

"_They seem good. Maybe they feel like it their lives could be so much better with each other. That what it was wouldn't be good enough for them." I explained. He nodded._

"_So they love each other." My heart raced the comment before I remembered that he was talking about Pocahontas and John Smith._

"_Yeah," I said calmly, "I guess they do." For the rest of the movie I kept forgetting that it wasn't me and Robin's story. That it wasn't me and Robin's tragic ending._

Maybe I was wrong…


	13. Cold Realities

_Cold Realities_

I think I finally found out what I hate most about Gotham. It's winter. Gotham in winter is wet, dirty, and cold. It was only late October. I shivered under my covers in my room. The heat in here isn't working well enough for me. My aunt and them were spread out in house somehow enjoying it. I'm just glad it's a Saturday. I gritted my teeth to stop them from chattering. I heard a knock on my window. My heart raced, thinking it was Robin. We haven't been able to meet in about a week. It was just way too cold for me.

I opened the window and immediately smelled spiced coffee. I sighed when I saw Karen in her bright yellow leather jacket. She jumped inside my room. She sighed on my carpet, while I closed the window shutting out the rest of the cold. She held up the coffee to me. I took it, irritated that it wasn't Robin at my window. What surprised me was that a part of me was relieved. The deeper we get, the more we could lose in the end. My emotions must have shown on my face, because Karen asked me about them.

"Why you look so disappointed? I thought you got my voicemail." She said sipping at her coffee. I checked my phone (LG Xenon, phone number unknown to my parents, thankfully.) and the screen showed the statement 1 missed call. That would've saved me from a lot of disappointment. I just shrugged before sitting down. I sipped at my coffee as Karen looked around my room. She looked at me then the window. A smirk grew on her face. I raise my eyebrow, questioning what she was thinking.

"Were you waiting for Romeo?" she asked. I struggled to remain calm under her gaze. I couldn't let her know how dead on she was. I scowled at her.

"I don't have a Romeo, remember?"

"I remember you lying to me about it." She said, plopping on my bed. I simply shook my head and tasted my coffee. It tasted weird to me. I sniffed it. I smelled pumpkin spice and something else, something alcoholic…

"Did you put rum in this?" I asked her. She shook her head innocently. "Karen!" I exclaimed setting the coffee down.

"Shhh!" Karen said. I forgot nobody knew she was here. I looked at her furious. I hated it when she spiked my drinks without me knowing. It was like she wanted to get me drunk on purpose. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What do you want Karen?" I said making it clear that I was mad at her. She smiled.

"Roy found an iced road just north of here. It's totally out of the way and clear. You wanna ride?" I smiled in excitement at the idea. I never rode on an iced rode before. And right now I needed a distraction…

"I'm in." I jumped off my bed getting a brown leather jacket. I unlocked my door as Karen climbed out the window. I walked to the living room grabbing my keys to my Aero. Uncle Mike looked up from a basketball game.

"Where are you going?" he asked. My aunt came into the room after hearing my uncle asked me the question.

"One of my friends from California came into town. We're just gonna hang out." I said nonchalant, moving towards the door. My uncle stood up about to protest when my aunt spoke.

"Have fun and be back before midnight." She said. Uncle Mike's jaw dropped at his wife's statement. She smiled at me sweetly. I went to hug her tightly.

"Thanks, Aunnie." I said before rushing out the door.

I waited at the beginning of the highway looking at Karen, who was standing on the yellow dashed line, for the signal to go. She raised her hand, keeping there for anticipation. Then she dropped it and I was off racing down the iced road. The rush filled me once again, my head calm and quiet. I raced Roy, watching him from the corner of my eye. I suddenly pulled back as he tried to get closer to my side. I accelerated until I sped past the finish line, expertly turning the car to a stop. I took a deep breath in as my thoughts pelted me once again. I've raced up and down the road a hundred times tonight, it seemed and they still found a way to find me. The moon showed brilliantly on the road before me. I stepped out of my car, careful with my steps so I don't slip, and went to the group. I couldn't be here anymore. My thoughts were just too much for me to be here.

"Hey guys, I'm heading out." They made sounds of disappointment.

"Come on, Raven. One more race." Karen asked. I sighed, giving in. They all climbed into there cars. Roy stepped out to start the race.

"On your mark…" he said. I tested the gas quickly.

"Get set…" I held my breath.

"GO!" I stepped on my gas. The forest blurred at my speed. I narrowed my eyes pushing my car as fast I could. I looked to see how fast I was going and gasped at what it said. 200 mph. I started to swerve as the tires slipped on the ice. I maneuvered the car to be steady getting ready for when it hit the regular road. I didn't look back, knowing I won. I just keep going until my thoughts could disappear.

I slowed down once I came into the city. I found myself in the clearing. I stopped the car as I saw a black corvette. I looked at its sleek form, memorizing it. I knew this car. It was the same car I risked my neck for. The one I gave on that dark and rainy day. I looked to the front of the car where the driver was sitting on the hood, waiting for someone. Waiting for me.

I stepped out my car, making my way down to Robin. The snow crunched under my feet. Robin looked up from the keys in his hands. I didn't smile at him like usual. He didn't either. Out breath was visible. They met in between us, taunting us to close the gap between us.

"Where you been?" he said, breaking the silence. I shrugged.

"I don't like the cold." I told him. He didn't laugh. It's weird to me how everything seemed to get tenser, so easily with us.

"What's happen?" he asked. He stood up and started to circle me. "You seem so tense," he touched my arm, "so guarded," he stroked my neck, "so wrong." As he whispered in my ear, my body started to go limp.

I turned around and looked in his eyes. The fire that was there seemed to be an inferno. I stepped closer to the fire. I didn't break our stare as I kissed him. He closed his eyes slowly, like I knew he would. I lead him until he was on top of the corvette's hood. He pulled me closer to him. I was soon sitting on his lap. I continued to kiss him as I reached behind my back pulling out my gun. I kept the safety on holding the gun to his stomach. He froze, his eyes snapped open. I had a grim look on my face as I pulled away and spoke to him.

"What will happen when this happens?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"It won't-"

"Then your more ignorant than I thought." I said cutting him off. I stepped back so the gun was in plain sight. I held up the gun to his heart. "There will be a time when we both are forced to hold each other at a gunpoint. What will you do then?" I asked. I felt a cold fear enter me as I said the words aloud. Robin looked away before approaching.

"I don't know." He said so low that I could barely hear him. My hopes shot down at what he said. I turned away from him.

"Then," I took a deep breath saying the words I never wanted to say, "I need to leave." I started to walk away when he grabbed my arms stopping me. I didn't try to pull away. He just turned me around and caught my lips in a angry, yet desperate kiss. I didn't hold back from him. Then I felt the cold snow on my back. I didn't care about it. Robin felt me shiver and pulled back when he realized it was from the cold and him.

"Stay," he said softly in a pleading voice, "stay with me." I closed my eyes. I had a million chances to walk away from him. A million and one to say no. Why haven't I?

_Maybe because you need him_, a small voice in my head says. I closed my eyes to stop the image of my nightmare come to me. Tears immediately came to my eyes. I pain gasp escaped my lips at the thought. I moved away from Robin, holding myself. _Don't cry,_ I thought,_ not in front of him._ But the tears escaped against my will. Soon I was sobbing as my nightmare hit me hard once again. This time it was much more vivid. I felt Robin place a hand on my side. I sighed.

"I can't bear it." I said. He was quiet. "I can't just sit here and wait for that moment…" I looked at him. He just stared at the snow beneath his feet.

"Or what happens after it." He finished. I nodded. We stayed silent for several moments. The silence of winter consumed us. Then I felt Robin push me.

I looked at him shocked. He just smirked at me. I pushed him back. I thought that would end things but, Robin jumped on my and kissed me. I felt heat rise to my checks. Robin smiled and ran away from me, just asking me to chase him. I got up, running after him. He jumped through trees, while I ran on the ground. I finally saw a tree I knew he would hide in. I climbed up it swiftly. I hid in a high branch. I watched as my prey come close and just when he was under me, I jumped down. The look on Robin's face was priceless!

We hit the ground roughly but were okay. Robin groaned.

"Great, now I'm getting bruised from my girlfriend." My heart raced a bit at the title. I was hopeless. Well if I'm gonna be hopeless, I might as well be so thoroughly. I kissed him quickly. Robin smiled, the fire in his eyes calming form the tense conversation from earlier. Then I heard him sigh.

"Raven-" I placed a finger on his lips stopping him from talking. I placed my head on his chest.

"I don't want to think about what I'm doing, so let me be ignorant please." I begged softly. I felt him nod. I relax and checked the time. 12:37 p.m. I sat up. Uncle Mike is so gonna kill me. I started to rush back to the house before remembering Robin. I looked back and got an idea. I grabbed his hand, dragging him to the window my room. I pulled him down to the ground. I silenced his protest with my hand.

"Wait here." I whispered before I left to go to the front of the house. I opened the door and saw Uncle Mike jump up.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" he screamed. I covered my eyes, no use to his yells.

"I know I'm late. Best friend, lost track of time, etcetera. Sorry, goodnight!" I rushed pass him to my room, locking my door. I heard him bang at it few times before Aunnie dragged him to bed. I waited until I heard the door close to go to my window.

I opened it and let Robin in. He climbed in gingerly. He stared at my small room letting the warmth of it soak in. I closed the window as a blast of wind started to blow. I felt him rub my arms to warm me. I smiled before leading him to my bed.

"Oh, we get to do something tonight." He said in a whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"As tempting as that is, I just wanted somewhere warm to sleep tonight." I told him. He laid back dejected. I pulled the covers back and curled up to him. He wrapped his arms around me. A few seconds later, I was asleep.

Robin stroked Raven's face softly. He saw a ghost of a smile come to her face. He sighed as he remembered his earlier suggestion. He meant it as a joke, but a part of him was more than disappointed than he thought he would be. He couldn't lie to himself. Robin wanted her. And he hated that nothing happened beyond the kisses and occasional shirt removal.

But she wasn't ready. He could remember her embarrassment when he found out that she was a virgin. He teased her about being the Virgin Mary, until she punched it out of him (the girl could hit harder than you would think). Robin was too, but he would never admit it out loud.

He was close to his first time but it didn't feel worth it to him. It never made to him. _Not until her,_ he thought. He gazed at Raven's moonlight face once more. She looked so peaceful to him when she was asleep. He could imagine her at eight years old looking that same way all the time. He kissed her forehead, vowing to protect her from her pain. If she would let him. That was always her problem.

She never seemed to let go of her pain, like it was in the air she breathed. Even with their situation. Robin was scared too, terrified even, at the idea of losing her like he lost his parents. He couldn't lose her. Not like that. Robin's head began to nod drowsily as his thoughts overcame him. He rested his head on her pillow and drifted off to sleep. Even in his sleep, his hand clutched hers as a lifeline. His last lifeline.


	14. Defiance

_Defiance_

Working in my uncle's gym became a comfort zone over the weeks I've been here. I could always release whatever I felt (well except Robin). And it was a perfect distraction. Although there was still some tension between me and a certain fighter…

"Vic, help out Raven." Uncle Mike said. Vic looked up. He walked behind the punching bag and we worked in silence. The only sound between us was my fists hitting the punching bags. Then out of our silence Vic said something I'd thought I'd never hear from him.

"Thank you." I stopped mid punch, thinking I heard wrong.

"What?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying it a second time. You know what I said." I straightened up, stopping the workout completely.

"I know what you said. I'm just wondering why." He looked around to see if anybody would overhear before talking.

"I know something happened that day after his parents' anniversary." He looked at me straight forward. There was amazement in his eyes. "I don't know what you did, what you said, or anything. But for some reason…his wounds about it seemed to be healed. I have to thank you for that." I smiled, looking away. We both went back to the punching bag. After a while I spoke.

"I guess I should be a doctor." I said. He looked at me scrutinizing.

"In that case, he should be one too." I stopped once again.

"What do you mean by that?" We switched positions. He did a series of combinations as he talked.

"I'm just saying that he isn't the only one whose been changing." I stiffened at the statement. If Vic, who I barely talk to, notices how I've changed, who else has. And how obvious are they?

They were obvious. Jinx angrily smoked on a cigarette. She only did this when she knew something was off. She couldn't stop smoking for the past week. She blew out the smoke, disgusting itself in the cold weather as her breath. She knew exactly what the problem was. Raven. Ever since she entered the group, Jinx hasn't been so calm. She always had to look twice at the out casted heir. And as the days went by, Raven continued to change. Everyday she saw a little bit of the edge that Raven had slip away.

It wasn't very noticeable. She didn't even notice. But one thing that never changed, Raven was good at hiding what would otherwise be obvious. All Jinx had to do was really look up and really focus on the small things. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, especially with Raven. But it got easier as the seasons changed.

Jinx narrowed her eyes at Raven as she walked into the school from her car. Raven was unaware of Jinx's scrutinizing gaze. Raven could see the small changes. Her steps weren't sharp with anger anymore. They were smoother, lady like. Her face didn't hold the sneer that Jinx grew accustom to. Instead there was a tired look. Like she could never get enough sleep…

Jinx stomped out her cigarette and walked into _her_ school.

Jinx wasn't the only one noticing a change. Terra sipped slowly at the mini bottle of liquor in her hand. She swallowed as it burned down her throat. Robin walked beside her. He never understood why she would drink right before she came to school.

"You know you would get in major trouble with that stuff?" Robin told her. She looked at him defiantly, and drank some more before popping some gum in her mouth.

Robin just rolled his eyes at her. Terra didn't say a word to him. She knew he was seeing someone else. She felt betrayed. He walks around all sweet and confident, just to deceive her right in front of her eyes. The difference between her and her sister is that she knew how to pin point the problem. And the problem was the lies Robin continued to her about being loyal. All she needed to know was who.

And she knew exactly who would know.

Terra reversed her stride towards her car. She quickened in anticipation.

"Where are you going?" Robin yelled after her. She didn't answer as she sped off down the street taking her usual route.

Jinx skipped the rest of her classes unable to calm her mind. She went to the Northington House, straight to her office. She walked around the empty house. It was kind of unsettling to her for the house to be empty. This was a rarity in itself. She walked towards her office when she saw the most unsettling image of all.

Terra was sitting in _her_ chair in _her_ office. Waiting for her. She marched towards Terra. Terra stood up.

"Jinx-"

"Get out, now!" Jinx said angrily. Terra moved closer to her.

"Jinx, listen to me-"

"Get out!"

"Jinx-"

"GET OUT!" Jinx yelled. "Shut up and get out." Jinx stepped closer to Terra. She looked into the same eyes she saw in the mirror everyday.

"I really could kill you right now." Jinx said lowly. Terra's gaze sharpened at the threat.

"Oh please. You've been throwing that threat around for three years straight. We both know you're not gonna kill me." Terra closed the door behind Jinx. Jinx stood there too angry to speak until she found the perfect thing to say.

"If only I could trust you to do the same." Terra froze at the comment. She knew Jinx never trusted her after she accidently shot her in the arm sophomore year, losing her trust. She never forgave herself for doing it.

Jinx knew that. She knew that Terra's guilt never subsided. Terra sighed as the guilt crashed over her. She faced Jinx with pleading eyes.

"Jinx, please, I don't want to fight with you. I came here strictly on business so please…" Jinx walked around her desk and sat down.

"What is it, Terra?" Terra released a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"I think there betrayal within Southside."

"This again!" Jinx said, annoyed. "Why do you think it's someone in my gang?"

"Because I know him, Jinx. He wouldn't be acting like this if wasn't."

"So you think just because one of your boy toys stops talking to you, all of sudden its Northside's fault." Jinx said dryly. Terra looked at Jinx dead in the eye.

"You know I'm right." Terra approached Jinx until she was right in front of her. "And you know exactly who it is." Jinx stayed silent, with no expression except boredom. Then they heard people entering the house. Jinx stayed calm as she motioned to the window behind her head.

"Later, Jinx." Terra said as she exited. Jinx missed how a picture fell from Terra's pocket soundlessly to the floor.

I entered Jinx's office quietly. She had a distant look in her eyes. I saw something on the floor behind her but before I could ask, she spoke.

"What are you doing on Halloween?" Jinx asked. I shrugged.

"Nothing really. My cousins are going trick or treating."

"Well now you're coming with me." She said. I dismissed the command leisurely. It's not like I had any plans. Well except for Robin…

I blanked my mind before it showed on my face. Someone called Jinx from the other room. She left giving me an opportunity to see what's on the floor. I quickly moved toward the object. I lifted it off the ground. It was a picture. More specifically, a picture of Jinx when she was younger. I looked at it quickly before hiding it in my pocket. I really don't know why but I knew something important was in that picture.

Jinx came in the room when I just got up. She gave me an annoyed look.

"Get out." She told me. She didn't have to tell me twice. I didn't look at her as I exited the room. Kori was waiting outside with an uneasy face. I was taken aback by that face. She rarely ever looked uneasy. Something was wrong. I approached her. She jumped when I called her.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She just smiled, almost convincingly.

"Just this thing with my family. There's gonna be a very unpleasant situation soon." My mouth formed a 'o'. I shrugged.

"Don't worry too much. It'll be over sooner than you would think."

"That's what I'm afraid of." She said gravely. Her eyes held a concerned look. I had a feeling she wasn't talking about her family. Jinx called her into her office. Kori walked right in wordlessly. I didn't hesitate getting out of the house. What was Kori trying to tell me?

Kori looked at Raven as she retreated out the door. She, then, looked at her leader. Jinx leaned back in her chair without a care in the world. Kori was practically trying to burn her with the intense glare she was giving her. But Jinx was running this kitchen.

"Get over it, Kori. Your emotions are better hidden." She said in a relaxed tone. Kori's eyes narrowed, looking like the dangerous person she could really be.

"I hope you're happy." She said walking further into the office. Jinx walked over beside Kori.

"Raven is full of defiance. She doesn't think of me as a threat when she ought to." Kori looked away from her leader. "She's a puppet, Kori."

"She's my friend." Kori told her boldly. Jinx shrugged but her eyes held anger.

"That's not my fault." Kori didn't need to be told to leave. Jinx banged her fist on her desk in frustration when she was gone. Raven was bringing down her defenses slowly, but surely. Something has to be done about this defiance. And soon…

I snuck out my window making sure my door was locked before I climbed out. I ran quickly to the clearing. I was going to see Robin since I couldn't see him later tonight. It would be one of the few times I would see him before nighttime. The sun was setting quickly, the sky fading from orange to purple. Within minutes I was landing in Robin's arms, smiling. He grinned at me, laughing.

"Someone's a little eager."

"I wanted to see you before the sun went down." I explained. We stood up with our arms wrapped around each other quietly. I sighed into his neck. The warmth I found there was tantalizing. I melted in his arms. "I wanted to stay like this forever." I told him. He tightened his grip on me,

"I wish we could." I heard him say softly. I pulled back a little pulling him along towards the tree in the center.

"Why don't we blow off Terra and Jinx? They can go have there fun, while we stay here." I said in a playful voice. Robin smiled at me sadly.

"You know I want to, but Terra's already suspicious. The last thing she needs is to try and find you." A sharp anger filled me. But it wasn't exactly anger, though. It was jealously. I was jealously of Terra. She could see him during the day. She could smile at him and not get shot at because she's with him. Terra _has_ him. And I don't. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I hate her." I said scathingly. Robin was taken aback by the statement. "Did you two use to date?" His face turned into a sheepish look. My jaw dropped before I closed it angrily. I started to climb the tree in frustration.

"Hey," Robin said. I ignored him as I climbed. I reached the top but he somehow made it there before me. I started to climb down before he touched my hands. I let him pull me up, so that I stood next to him. He balanced me against the trunk so that I wouldn't fall. The sun was still setting. He hugged me tightly once again. He moved my hand until it was over his heart. I felt it beating under my hand. It matched mine. "You're the only one who ever matched mine. The closest thing I've ever felt like this was...never." He told me. I felt hope fill my chest. I leaned on him until the only thing between us were our hands. I watched as the sky went darker.

"I still don't want you around her." I pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Make sure she's knows that. She doesn't have to know that you're mine. Just that you're not hers." He smiled at me.

"Deal. I promised. Whatever makes you happy." I smiled and kissed him deeply. I felt him melting into me as we kissed. Then I felt my phone buzz. I pulled back unwillingly, knowing it was my alarm. I bit my lip. He sighed before letting me go. "Go meet Jinx. We both know how patient _she_ is." I chuckled softly and sighed. I let him go slowly, climbed down the tree, and resisted climbing back up.

Jinx was standing by her black jeep in the school's parking lot. She didn't say anything as I climbed in. She slide in beside me. There were more people in the car. Speed was in the passenger's seat up front. Fox was driving. I stayed quiet feeling the tension in the car. I looked at Jinx but she just looked out the window. I wondered where Kori was. I took out my phone but Jinx covered it with her hand.

"No phones." She said. I looked at her wondering what was happening tonight.

"Why?" She looked at me. She smirked but her eyes stayed grim.

"You'll see." I narrowed my eyes at her. We rode along for about half an hour. As we got closer to the destination, something gripped my stomach. Something was gonna happen tonight. Something bad. Something Jinx had planned for awhile. We slowed down at a traffic light. I heard music from outside the car and looked over at the source. It was a Halloween party. As I looked closer I could see people in costumes and more it white jackets bearing to S's on it. It was a Southside party.

Fear filled me. Robin was in there. I opened my mouth to say something but the words died on my lips as the car made a U turn. Jinx rolled down her window. She pulled out a gun, one that I didn't even know she had, and started shooting. I flinched from the sound but couldn't tear my eyes away from what was happening. I heard screams and panic from inside. The people outside tried to duck but some weren't fast enough. We drove away quickly after that. I looked back at the building. I saw it burst in flames. I could hear the screams echoing in my head as the building got smaller and smaller until I couldn't see it anymore.

I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out and saw that I had a text. I opened it and saw a picture of a jack-o-lantern made of flames.

"Happy Halloween." Jinx said softly.

As soon as we got out the car, I walked up to Jinx. I grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"What hell was that?!" I exclaimed. She rolled her eyes at me before pulling her arms out my grip. She spotted someone behind me.

"Nice work, Kori. I liked the jack-o-lantern. It was a nice touch." She smiled. I turned and looked at my less-than-happy friend. She stayed quiet as Jinx praised her.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"No," She stepped closer to me. "But it is a hint." I finally understood what she was trying to do.

"You did this to show whose in control?"

"I did this to get back at them. And for you to understand what all this is." I looked at her confused as she explained. "This isn't a democracy, Raven. I could care less about what you want. We both know whose in charge. I am. You think that you're stronger than me. I'll admit you're good at what you do. Going against me isn't one of them. Your defiance stops now. "

"You can't control me." I told her, angry at her words.

"No, but I can kill you." She pulled out her gun. But I knew it was just a sign of power. She won't kill me. Not know, anyways. "This is not some kind of silly high school game. You can say what you want but you're in this just as much as I am. This is a dictatorship. Your will against mine. Choose." She said with finality.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything. Those words…just when I thought my father was out of my life, he finds a way back in. I backed away from her. I turned and walked. Fear gripped me so tightly, it was practically choking me. The cold numbed my fingers, went through my arms until lit gripped my heart and mind. If Robin was dead…I couldn't finish that thought. My mind went numb as I went to the clearing.

I saw someone on the ground. As I got closer, I began to run. Heat filled my veins as I recognized the body. It was breathing. It was alive. It was Robin. Tears sprung in my eyes I held him.

"Thank god you're okay." I said. I pulled back to see if he was hurt. He had a couple of burns and a few cuts, but overall was okay. I pulled him into my room. I went through the front of the house, making it seem like everything was okay. That nothing bad happened. But soon enough, I was in my room with the first aid kit. I locked my door tending to Robin's wounds quietly. He was soon asleep. I switched between outside my window and him.

I didn't know I why I was so terrified at the thought of him dying. Maybe I cared for Robin a little deeper than I thought. Everytime I saw him, heard him, or even thought of him, a feeling that I never felt before filled me. I looked at Robin once again. Maybe I needed him. There was no maybe. I _needed_ Robin.

And I would kill Jinx if she ever took him away from me.


	15. Tension

_Tension_

Waking up with Robin was slightly disorienting. I knew I had to make him leave but it was always harder than I thought it would be. I woke up with his head in my lap, while I rested on the headboard. He was sleeping peacefully like usual. I stroked his face softly. A surge of energy moved through me as I did. Suddenly, his eyes opened. Maybe he felt it too.

He smiled lazily at me. I smiled back eagerly. He seemed just fine. It was as if last night never happened…I frowned as I thought about it. Robin looked at me confused before understanding.

"I'm fine." He said softly, so no one could hear him. I shook my head. He may have been. But I wasn't. A cold rage grabbed me when I thought of what happened. I knew who to blame. I knew who to go after, who to threaten. And I couldn't. If I went after Sienna everything would go up in flames. And don't want a repeat of last night.

I was silent as I got up. I moved to the window as I, reluctantly, let in the cool breeze. Robin got the hint. He winced as he stood up. I turned away from hid struggle. The anger was numbing my senses making me more and more dangerous. I felt Robin touch my shoulder, and relaxed a bit. He circled his arms around me. I relaxed in his hug. He held me there. I melted in the circle of his arms. They felt like home. That was something I haven't felt in a long time.

"Don't do it. Don't try and get revenge on her." He told me softly. I pulled back looking at him surprised. A hurt feeling shot through me. How could he ask me to do that?

"So you just want me to sit there and take it?" I whispered fiercely at him. His expression stayed calm as he looked at me. It made my anger calm a bit.

"No," he said, "I want to you to be smart and no do anything stupid over me. I'm not worth it." He hugged me once again. I buried my face in his neck. It pulse with warmth, shielding me from the cold.

"Who told you that lie?" I asked him. I felt him laugh as he pulled away. He kissed my sweetly on my lips before giving me a serious look.

"Don't do it, Raven," he pleaded, "Don't ruin yourself like that." I didn't promise him anything as he jumped out the window and into the snow. I couldn't promise him that. He may have thought that this wouldn't be worth it, but I did. I sighed placing my head in my hands.

Sometimes love sucked. I sat back up shocked at the thought. _Love?_

I walked out my room a half an hour later about to go to the Northington House. When I got to the living room, Uncle Mike was in front of the TV watching the news. An anchor woman was talking in front of a burning building. The building looked familiar. It kind of looked like…_uh oh_, I thought.

"_A Halloween prank gone wrong. Last night a high school Halloween party was held in this building. Around 11 p.m. a drive by occur, the building set on fire. 5 people were killed. 8 seriously injured. Some of the party guest were recognized as members as the notorious gang, simply know as The Southside. The main suspect is their just as famous enemies the Northsiders. More information is still to come."_

I tried to breath like normal, but my throat felt as if it was being closed too tightly. I saw Uncle Mike shake his head before turning around to look at me. He sighed. He never liked news like this. It didn't help that it always felt too close to home for him.

"Just what we need," He turned back to the TV, "More kids dying for nothing." I backed out the house saying nothing as I felt my face get hot. Five people dead. And I saw them. It didn't matter that the windows were tinted or that they were blurry. I saw them clearly enough to know that they were dead. And to think that Robin was in that very building…I pushed back the numbing rage that continued to take over me. I got in my Aero pulling out the driveway quietly. My thoughts continued to taunt me as I stayed calm. I was tense with effort to stay in control of my emotions.

I got out taking deep breaths as I walked into the house. No one was there except Jinx, who seemed to barely leave. She was staring out the window, not noticing me. She was too relaxed to known that I was there. I walked silently into her office. I leaned on the wall, trying not to come right out and attack her.

_Don't do it. Don't try and get revenge on her._ I heard echoing in my head. It didn't help as I became tenser. Sienna stood up from her chair and turned around. I saw the surprise go through her eyes before she gave me an annoyed expression.

"Five people dead." I told her, emotionless, "Hope your happy."

"I am thank you." She stated easily. I gritted my teeth as my anger showed through.

"And you're okay with that?" She rolled her eyes at me before leaning on the front of her desk.

"Oh please spar me!" She exclaimed, "You are the last person I need talking to me about good morals. You're not exactly known for that." She looked up at me, like I was insignificant. Nothing for her to care for or fear. I felt my rage grow. How dare she think that of me? I was more of a threat than she would ever know. As she tried to walk past me, I grabbed her arm in a painful grip.

She stopped looking at me with a raised eyebrow. She chuckled at bit before flipping me over. I tumbled rolling to my feet, shocked. She crossed her arms across her chest. I stood up and brushed myself off. Where did that come from? She continued to walk away from me. I charged towards her pulling her back to the floor. Once there, she pulled out my grip, kicking me in my leg. I switched to my other leg, trying to balance myself, as she got up. She grabbed my jacket punching me in my face. I stumbled a couple feet back. Jinx moved towards me quickly reaching for me. I grabbed her arm twisting it behind her back, pushing her to the ground with her arm still my grip. I placed more and more pressure on it. Before I could break it, she found a way to flip herself over pinning me down. She didn't hesitate to start punching. I felt myself bleeding as I tired to block her hits. I finally saw an opening and hit her chin, making her fall back. I stood up. Anger filled me as I felt blood drop on the ground from my face. I kicked her across her face, happy I was wearing sharp heels. She crumpled to the ground. She took some deep breath and stood up. We stared at each other, both bloody and angry. She spit some blood out her mouth.

"You keep acting like you're not apart of this." She opened a drawer from behind her. She tossed something silver at me. I caught it. I looked at cold gun in my hand. Sienna moved around me back to her office. Even bloody and torn up, she still was in control of herself, oblivious to the pain. Sensei would be proud.

"You're a killer, Raven. Just as much as me." She smirked. "Maybe even more."

I backed away from her holding the gun. It was loaded with the safety down. I could kill her, if I wanted to. She knew that, just waiting for me to lift it up and end her life. Daring me to do it, really. But she knew I couldn't. It was too risky and stupid for me to even consider. And she knew that all too well.

"The only reason you're not dead right now…" I said trailing off. She smiled.

"Is because if you kill me, you're dead the minute _they_ find you. Northside's loyalty to me is surprisingly high. And surprisingly low for you." I frowned at the statement; disappointed at how true it was."Don't be mad because for once you're not in control. Accept it. It's easier that way." I left the house hearing her laugh haunt me.

I hid the gun in a secret compartment under my seat, making sure the safety was on, before getting in. I drove off increasing speed as I went. Going there was stupid. Going there was reckless. Going there was everything that I wasn't supposed to do, yet I still went; still fought her, not even sure if I won. I continued to drive until I reached the makeshift garage. Karen was at her desk. She turned at the sight of my car. When I got out she gasped.

"What happened to you?" I ignored her as I shut myself in my office. I sat down trying to calm down. But even I knew it wouldn't be likely anytime soon.

When Raven left the building, Jinx's smirk fell. She shook her head. If this was two months ago, this wouldn't have happened. So what if she did a drive by on Southside? Why would that bother her? It's not like anyone…Jinx was in shock as the thought developed.

It's not like anyone was important to here there.Jinx growled as realized something. Someone was important to her there. She couldn't believe how stupid she was being. Terra was right.

_That bitch…_, Jinx thought.

Jinx stood up, walking out the house. She knew exactly where to go.

Robin tried to sneak up to his room but it was in vain as his dad appeared in front of him. No, he didn't just appear. He was waiting to make his entry. As much as Robin wished, Bruce was never ignorant. He may not be entirely sure but he knew enough to know where he was.

"You were at that party." Bruce stated. Robin walked back down the stairs. Bruce's voice followed. "You were there with those gang bangers again. You were there ,again, doing who knows what." Robin said nothing. Bruce couldn't believe it, even as the proof stood in front of him. He knew Richard was always attracted to trouble, but this was different. This was a bigger danger not just to everybody around him, but mostly to himself.

"Your mother-"

"Don't go there!" Robin said sharply. He whipped around, greeted with the enraged face of his father. "Do _not_ bring my parents into this."

"Why not? Too much guilt for you handle?" Bruce said calmly, "Why are you doing this?"

"I don't have to answer you." Robin said stubbornly.

"And who told you that lie?" Robin remembered when Nevah said the exact same thing. It was easy for him to smile at it then. But now it was wrong. Coming from the wrong person.

"You act like you're my dad." Robin said softly as he passed. Bruce didn't try to stop him, not able to hide the hurt that appeared in his eyes. Bruce never tried to replace his dad, but it still hurt for him to hear that. He gazed at the picture of Ava and her husband, forever smiling. He sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He picked up the picture stroking her face softly. How could he have failed her like this?  
"I just don't know what to do anymore." He told her softly.

Robin was in his room pacing waiting for the sorrow to subside. But it wouldn't. It never did. He pulled at his hair in frustration. The sun was setting fast enough. The room was too small. Nothing was right at the moment. And to make things worst, Robin's guilt rose every time he saw the picture of his mom across the room with a smaller version of his in her arms. Bruce was right. The guilt was too much for him to think about. He didn't know what would happen if his parents saw half the stuff he did. His mom would cry, making him fee terrible about everything. Then she would come back and beat his until he was unconscious. His dad would be too angry to even want to talk to him. He would stem up, then blow up, making it one of the most terrifying moment of his life.

He laughed bitterly at the image of the house blowing up because of his dad's temper. He let out a shaky breath. Maybe that was why he did this. Maybe he's trying to see if his childish images of his parents coming back, if nothing else than to hurt him for what he's done. At least they would _back_. At least he would see them again. At least…

Robin jump up and sped out of his room to the garage. He was in his black corvette before he knew it, driving away. He didn't know where he was going. He was just driving, running, away. Trying to get away from his last thought. And for a moment it worked. His head was clear and peaceful .He didn't even try to remember the last time he felt like that. He thought of nothing. He took a deep breath. He finally slowed down stopping at the pier. Just as he got out his car, the thoughts came crashing back to him. He almost doubled over in the pain it cause him.

Revenge was a mysterious opponent. It always found you in the end. Always haunted you like a nightmare, no matter where you turned. This was revenge for being too weak to save them. Too weak to understand what he did. This was revenge, he thought as his thought completed itself.

At least he could tell them he's sorry.

"I want her to pay." Terra said through her teeth. She had a small bottle of liquor in her hand, sipping at it. She was steaming in tears as she remembered watching it all happen. She was dancing as her friends tried to scare each other. Then the shot's rang out. She dove down in time. Some people didn't. Before she could even recover from it, she smelled smoke. Terra ran out losing Robin and a few other people as she did, and tripped a little farther away. She froze there as she watched the building burn, slipping away before the cops came. Now she was in the living room of the empty house her gang hung out at, with a few members moving around. People became tense as they got near her. They knew how dangerous Terra could get when she was like this. The only person she would even let approach her closer than five feet when she was like this was Robin. But she didn't want him around. Not after how he played her so easily.

"Should we call Robin?" someone asked casually. A small empty bottle landed with a crash right in front of them, the shattering glass barely missing them. The room got quiet as everybody looked at their leader, the person who threw it. She stood up. The tension sky rocketed in the room as she did. She was shaking in anger.

"Do. Not. Call _him." _She said grabbing another bottle of liquor before leaving the room. She felt the eyes look suspiciously at her as she exited. Terra walked to the back porch, sitting on the last step. No one would bother her there. They would only look at her occasionally. She leaned her head back against the house, taking deep breaths to calm herself. They were in vain.

She didn't even want to think of his _name_. She couldn't deal with it. She didn't see him leave the party. But she did know it he would be hurt. And instead of coming to her, like he used to, he would run to someone else. Some girl that wasn't her. She felt crushing disappointment at the realization. She couldn't help but feel betrayed. How could he do this? How could he betray all of them? He wouldn't even pretend anymore. He use to at least put up with her gestures and affection. But now he just rejected her. He wouldn't let her do anything. She remembered the last time she tried to kiss him on his cheek, like normal, when he moved away. He walked away from her, completely rejecting her. She couldn't help the instant hurt that filled her. Tears made their way to her eyes.

She threw a bottle in the grass. She lowered her head in between her knees, trying to make herself calm down. But the overwhelming hurt still filled her. She could feel the warm tears trailing down her face.

"I never understood why you would cry over that guy." A voice beside her said. She looked up to see the sight of her sister, leaning on the building beside her.. She was taken aback. Jinx never liked to travel over to the other side of town. Yet here she was, leaning against the building, just out of sight from every body else beside her worst enemy and best ally. Terra wiped her face of her pitiful tears.

"What are you doing here?" she asked hoarsely, cringing at the sound of her voice. She saw Jinx sigh. Suddenly she realized that something was wrong. More wrong than usual. Terra stood up waiting for her sister to continue. Jinx was quiet. Terra looked inside as people kept glancing at her. She walked away from the door. Jinx, still invisible to the rest of the people, followed her. They walked farther away until they were alone hidden by the abandon building. Terra looked at her sister's angry, yet reluctant expression.

"What's wrong Jinx?" she asked softly, worried about the answer. Jinx turned away, taking a couple deep breaths, while Terra watched patiently. Finally Jinx looked up at her.

"I think you were right." Terra didn't need to ask to know what she was talking about.


	16. Weak Moments

_Weak Moments_

I let out a breath in didn't know I was holding, as the car backed out of the driveway. They were finally gone. Uncle Mike was taking Aunnie on a Valentine's Day weekend with the kids (thankfully) going to Aunnie's sister's house. I was glad to get a break from family activities. Ever since New Year's all it's ever been is more and more family time. I was fine at first but eventually everybody needed a break. Hence, the weekend.

I turned to go to my room, gladly away from any Northside stuff tonight. I'm not much of a fan these days. I locked my door before moving to my window. Sure enough among the snow was a figure in black. I smiled at it. I opened my window to let them. The figure climbed through quickly. They brushed the snow of their jacket before placing their hands on my waist. I kissed Robin eagerly. I haven't seen him in five days.

After my fight with Jinx, she raised the time I spent with Northside. This meant I had less time to go home and see Robin. She wasn't the only one though. Terra was just as proactive about keeping Robin closer to home more than usual. I savored the kiss a little more before burying my face in his chest.

"I hate her." I said. I felt him a laugh a little against my face.

"Who?" he whispered.

"Both of _them_." I spat. I moved to my bed pulling out two bottles of ginger ale and some rum I got from Karen. I mixed the drinks before handing Leo one. He smirked before taking a sip. "Jinx is a devil. She's terrible. I hate her!" I emphasized softly, not to wake anybody.

"And Terra?" he asked. I gave him a you-already-know look

"She has you." Robin rolled his eyes. He grabbed my drink and put it on the bed side table. My hands became limp in my lap. Robin lifted my chin to look at him. He didn't have to say it. I knew what he was going to say. She didn't have him, I did. Try telling them that without getting shot. I pulled my face away. "For get I said that." I told him. I won't let Terra get in the way of my night with Robin. I heard a sigh in relief. I rolled my eyes and kissed him. He grabbed my waist pulling me to him.

I felt him smiling against my lips as he kissed me. I pulled away releasing a sigh.

"Let's go some where." I told him. He nodded in agreement. I put on my jacket, while closing the window. We walked out the front and locked the door. He walked with me to his motorcycle.

"Why can't we take the car?" I asked. I actually was starting to like the motorcycle. But he didn't need to know that.

"Because we always take the car. And you never let me drive."

"Your point?"

"I wanna drive something." I rolled my eyes as I took the spare helmet. Soon we were off. I watched him drive us towards Swing. He loved taking me there. I don't know if it was because he liked dancing with me or that it just felt safe. Maybe it was both.

He parked in the back and led me to the back entrance. Robin held my hand as I followed him to the roof. Tonight was a half moon with the stars out. No lights were lit. The music from downstairs was audible. It seemed perfect. I sat down in one of the old chairs that was placed outside. Robin sat across from me.

"So is this good?" He said softly, not to disturb the night. I nodded kind of speechless. It looked unbelievable up here. I looked at Robin. He stared down at my hands. He grabbed them in his, slightly stroking them. I sighed at the warmth.

"It's perfect," "I guess my dad finally got something right. If he never sent me here, I would have never found this place. Or you."

"I doubt that." Robin said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Really." He nodded and scooted closer.

"I think we would've found each other eventually. I don't think something like this could be just a stroke of luck."

"You say this like it wasn't."

"What if it wasn't?" He countered, "What if I didn't decide to walk downtown that day? What if somehow you never left California? What if you didn't hate every guy that wanted to marry you?"

I looked at his silently. He seemed to have thought this out already. I leaned towards him. I started to play with his hands. I didn't look at him as I said, "You seemed to think a lot about that."

"I use to." He told me. I nodded. I thought of staying in California. A ripple of pain pasted through me. I couldn't have stayed there. Accepting those marriage would've been against everything I stood for. Especially now that I know Robin. I looked up at him.

"Staying in California was never a possibility." I would've been gone a year later given the time. I didn't say anything of that, though. I stayed silent. He looked at me before asking me a question.

"What exactly happened with that guy?" he asked me. I didn't need to ask who he was talking about. My stomach clenched.

"Tell me about Terra." I said. He rolled his eyes.

"I asked first." I looked away from him. He grabbed my chin, making me face him. He moved his hand to the side of my face. I leaned into it and my eyes closed, subconsciously. "Please."

My eyes shot open. He was begging me to tell him. To try and let him understand my pain. The deep pain that I never told anybody. That I didn't try to remind myself of. I knew he deserved to know though. And that was the scary part. What would he do when he found out? I let out a breath I was holding in. Time to find out.

"I was sixteen and I just came home from a boarding school in Paris." I started, "My dad told me he had something to tell me. He explained to me all these ancient customs his family had when they lived in Japan. His marriage to my mom was a mistake, according to his family. He was suppose to marry this one girl from a wealthy Japanese family. But they decided to move to America for whatever reason. They moved here to Gotham and my mom was in his class. They fell in love and never told his family, for obvious reasons. He waited till college before marrying her.

"When my family found out it was too late to change anything. They tried to make him divorce her but he refused. They couldn't make him since he was a legal citizen. He had his own rights. His family didn't take it well. Only my Uncle Mike stayed in contact with him for years. When my mom got pregnant with me, they needed help. My uncle had his own problems and couldn't help. So he went to Japan for help. They only agreed to help him if he had me married to the wealthy family's newborn son. He agreed."

I looked at Leo to see his reaction. He was calm, waiting. I looked away as I continued.

"I was furious. He had my mom talk me but I refused to just marry a guy I didn't know. She came up with the idea of me dating him first. I agreed to only date him for a month. My dad didn't care. He was just glad I agreed. A week, later I met Daitaro, or X as he liked to be called. I told myself that once the month was up it would be over. That this was a punishment that my dad gave me before I had a choice. I keep repeating it over and over, trying and to convince myself. But…

"One day he took me to the beach and we talked; really talked. I felt he was listening to me. I thought he cared to me. When we were together I wasn't alone in the world. He wasn't disgusted when I was myself. He never judged me. He was so sweet…" I looked him in the eye as I reluctantly decided not to edit my next statement. "I thought I loved him."

Leo's eyes filled with hurt before going blank. His gripped loosened his grip on my hands, but I tightened mine. I refused for him to turn away from me before the end of the story.

"So we dated for six months before we got engaged," I continued, "The wedding was dated three months later. Everything seemed so great. Until it wasn't. I thought him equal to me but he obviously thought it wasn't suppose to be that way. I was suppose to be insignificant. He started showing that; trying to tell me where to go, who to have as a friend, what I should _wear_ when I saw him. A week before the wedding, I got fed up. I told him that the wedding was off

"'It's not over until I say it is.' X said. I was so angry when he said that. 'Watch me,' I told him. And then he hit me. I was too stunned to attack him. When I decided to fight back, I couldn't do anything. He had me trapped. I felt weak and defenseless. Soon enough my parents heard him when they came back from where ever. My dad pulled him off me and my mom called the police and tried to help me. By then I almost passed out from the pain. The day after he was arrested. His family paid people for a cover story, saying he did some illegal business or something. Nobody outside his family and mine knew the real story except Monty and Karen. My dad sent me back to Japan to spent the summer with my granddad, after that." I finished.

I stared at our hands. I felt tears coming to my eyes. I hated crying in front of him. But telling that story brought back that pain, making it so vivid, I almost felt him hitting me again. I tried to steady my breathing but nothing helped, X's face all too clear in my mind with his stupid and fake smile. Soon the tears were trailing down my face. I wiped, in vain, at them.

"I couldn't believe he did that." I sobbed. "I was so alone after that. But he only cared about my money. Everything was just a bonus. X broke me. I wanted to kill him. I still do. I can't believe I was stupid enough to actually think he loved me."

Leo knelt down in front of me. He wiped my tears. I shook my head, ashamed to tell him that. I felt so raw, so vulnerable.

"You don't love him." He said. I shook my head.

"I never did. I only thought I did." I replied. He nodded . He then stood up, pulling me to my feet. I looked at him helplessly. He just pulled me into his arms. More tears fell as I stood there with him. I listened to the music below us, letting them both calm me down. I laughed a little. "This must be the worst Valentine's day for you."

I felt him shake his head. I pulled back a little. He looked at me with a small smile. He stroked my face before placing a small kiss on my forehead. I was instantly felt that same warmth that filled me when he did that. It probably one of the most minuscule gestures he did but it was one of my favorites. It reminded me that I wasn't alone; that he cared about me. I wrapped my arms around him tighter, closing my eyes tight. I felt his heartbeat against my face. It matched mine.

Robin looked down at the person in front of him. When he heard her talking about that guy, X she said, he felt slightly jealous. She use to be crazy about him. But as she ended her story with tears, he only wanted to kill him. He pulled her in his arms, letting her cry some more.

He couldn't believe it. This wasn't the girl who kissed him, not the girl who carried herself with so much edge she sometimes scared him, and defiantly not the girl that who comforted him when he told her about his mom. She revealed her weakness. It probably answered every question he wanted to asked about her past. She was weak. She never wanted to be. He never thought so, but she was. She couldn't take another lie about someone loving her. He didn't want her to.

Robin continued to hold until she pulled away, calm. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I know this is a crappy Valentine's Day but-"

He kissed her to make her shut up. It was more gentle than most of their kisses. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not changing the slow pace. She pulled away.

"So what about you and Terra?" He grimaced as she asked. He sighed.

"It was last year. A few days after my mom's anniversary and she 'invited' me into Southside. I said okay. I soon started liking her because of how different she was. But once we got together, it all changed. She felt so strongly about me and vice versa but…

"Something was wrong. I don't know. We felt wrong. It only lasted about a month. We didn't talk for weeks before we became friends again. She always wanted me back but I refused." Raven looked at him suspiciously.

"That's it." Robin put his hand over his heart.

"I swear." Robin grabbed her hands and kissed them. "I wouldn't care if she walked out of my life forever. I don't care about her. What we had is nothing now that I have you."

Raven turned away but he still saw a little of her blush. He held back a laugh, not wanting to embarrass her. The music below them changed to a type of jazzy tango. He smirked at her.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to do a tango, would you?" Raven smirked. He release a breath of relief. She was back to her old self, already. She started to move her hips in a seductive manner. Soon Robin was entranced by her. A Cheshire cat grin spread onto her lips. She held out her hand, as an invitation. He gladly took it.

*****

"Where are we going?" I asked Robin. He just drove on not telling me. Soon I recognized the area. He smiled back at me as we turned into a driveway. I got off the bike as I looked at the famous Wayne Manor. It looked just as fancy and exclusive as mine. But something about it scream with intimidation. "Wow." Robin rolled his eyes.

"You say this like you don't have one."

"Not like this," I said. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

The first thing I saw was a black staircase that split the room in two. The right held a kitchen, while the left had a living room. I moved to the living room while Robin went the kitchen. I sat on the plush couch, waiting as Robin went through the refrigerator.

A crash broke the silence for the room. I heard Robin curse a second later. I looked and saw Robin standing in front of a half empty refrigerator door, looking at the floor, where the food was. I held back a laugh as I saw a Englishman enter.

"Must you always make a mess." He said. Robin cringed at the sound.

"Sorry, Alfred." The Englishman, Alfred, just shook his head.

"You always are," he said moving around Robin, "And how rude of you not to introduce a guest."

I froze. How did he know I was here? He didn't even look at me. I stood up and walked to the kitchen slowly.

"Umm, hi." I said awkwardly. Alfred just smiled kindly.

"Hello, Miss Roth." He grabbed my hand a placed a kiss on my knuckles. Robin rolled his eyes behind me.

"I'm surprised you know my name."

"They always are." He said with a wink. I giggled at it. He excused himself from the kitchen.

"What a gentleman," I told Robin. He grimaced before giving me a mischievous look.

"True but," he said moving closer to me," He can't do this." Suddenly, Robin picked me up and swung me around. I laughed as he did that, setting me in his lap once we reached the couch. He picked up my hand and kissed the back of it and the inside of my wrist.

"Such a gentleman," I joked.

"Don't you forget it," he said with a silly smile. I laughed as I pressed my forehead to his.

"Master Richard," Alfred interrupted. "I believe our guest is hungry. Perhaps she would like something to eat. A dessert, perhaps?"

"Yeah. Some ice cream would be good." he said. Alfred nodded. I raised an eyebrow at Robin. He just shrugged. Alfred came back with to pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream on a silver tray. He bowed and said goodnight.

As he exited the fireplace turned on and the lights dimmed.

"You know I like your butler." He chuckled.

"Most people do." He leaned over me to reach the ice cream. He gave me chocolate chip cookie dough while he had rocky road. We ate the ice cream in a comfortable silence when Robin pushed me gently of his lap so he could get something. I ate and watched as he came back with something behind his back. He smiled before handing me a flower.

It was a red snapdragon flower. I took it in awe. Plenty of guys got me flowers but they were mostly roses and babies breath. This one was different.

"That represents strength."

He than handed me a lavender bird of paradise.

"Magnificence."

He pulled out a yellow freesia.

"Innocence."

"You know, I'm far from innocent." I commented.

"That's only what you think." He told me as he handed me another flower. This one was a orange lily.

"For your passion."

The next one was a orchid.

"One for your charm and beauty." I blushed as he said this. He simply smiled before handing me a sweet pea.

"Bliss."

I stroked the petals softly, not sure what to say. He gave me a sunflower and I grinned at him.

"Warmth and boldness."

I took in it graciously. I waited a moment for the next flower. He seemed a bit nervous to give me this one. I smiled to encourage him. He let out a breath before holding out a red tulip. It hand a silver chain on it with a key pendent on it. I took it out his hand. It was beautiful in its simplicity.

"What does this one mean?"

He just smiled.

"You'll see." I was about to press the subject but he simply untangled the necklace from around the flower. He placed it around my neck. The key was silver and was one of the older style key that was modernly sleek. I touched in softly. It felt cool on my skin. I turned to Robin, took his place next to me. I smiled at him, speechless. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thank you." I said breathlessly. I leaned forward placing my lips on his gently. He smiled against my lips. He cupped my face. I leaned more into him, kissing him with gratitude. I pulled away with a soft smile.

"So what's the key to?" I asked. Robin gave me a playfully smile as the light from the fire played on his face.

"You'll know someday."


	17. Lessons

_Lessons_

Uncle Mike was very fond of lectures. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he scheduled them regularly, topic and time length included. Sure there is some good advice here and there. But for the most part it's just him talking about something he deems important. As different as him and my father are, some things are exactly the same.

"Raven," he called Sunday afternoon. I turned away from the movie that was playing on TV. He pointed towards the door. "We need to talk."

I rolled my eyes discreetly before getting up. I grabbed my jacket ad we left.

He took me to the park across the street. It was pretty warm for it being mid-March. The leaves were starting to grow back. The sky was clear most days. Spring break was coming. I looked at the sun bitterly. If only I could spend it with somebody...

"Spring Break is coming up." Uncle Mike said, as we walked on one of the parks paths. "Your dad called. He said that he couldn't reach you and that your phone is disconnected. But it's funny. Your phone seems to work just fine." I stayed quietly. This is the annoying part; listening to him think he actually knows the answer.

"I broke the phone he gave me. Got a new one."

"And what? Forgot to give him the number?"

"I didn't forget anything." Uncle Mike grabbed my arm and stopped me mid-step. His eyes showed disbelieve. I left mine blank.

"Why? Why are being so difficult?"

"Have you met you little brother?" I said. Why is he acting so clueless? "He's a tyrant. I hate him. What part of that don't you understand?!" I ripped my arm from his grasp. Uncle Mike frowned at me. My anger started to spike. I started walking away from him. How can he be so judgmental of my view on my father? I don't even consider him a dad. I look around to see if we attracted any attention. We didn't. Yet. I heard him starting to follow me.

"You weren't the one being sent to every part of the world only to return to a cruel father. You weren't the one being locked in a study for days at a time. You weren't the one being forced to get _married_ by the time you were sixteen all because your father was too selfish to consider your future before his!" I exclaimed. I turned towards him, making him stop short. I toned down voice and glared at my uncle, "So excuse me if my opinion isn't exactly the most pleasant."

Uncle Mike turned away frustrated. He wiped his hand over his face. Knowing him he would probably try to reason. I started walking again. I heard him catch up with me, matching my stride.

"Look, Raven, I'm not saying my brother is exactly the best guy in the world." I scoffed at the statement, "But that doesn't give you the right to be a bad guy." I stopped short.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't think I'm stupid, Raven. Your aunt may let you run wild but don't think I feel that you should. I knew something was up ever since the girl, Jinx, dropped you off that one day."

"She just gave me a ride since _someone_ took away my car-"

"And everyday since, something has been off."

"I got friends. I made a life. At least temporarily."

"And there in gang?"

"If they are, we don't talk about it." That was a lie. It was almost all we talked about. "God, Uncle Mike, I'm not trying to get in trouble." Another lie. Uncle Mike sighed.

"I'm just worried that these gangs are getting to you." I didn't say anything. "Life is like a car, Raven. If you accelerate too much, you'll just end up crashing."

"I'll keep that in mind." I didn't wait for him to catch up to me as I walked away. He didn't try to follow me this time.

I walked to the farthest edge of the park just trying to get away from everything. Uncle Mike's words continued to ponder in my head. I thought if I moved in a circle pacing, hoping to move enough to just erase the words, even for a moment. But it didn't work. I sat down, squeezing my temple to stop the headache. But just as it seemed to go away. I saw a car sitting on the curb. A black mustang with tinted windows. Many Northsiders had cars like that. Most just drove then at night. There was only one person who would drive it during the day.

I looked behind me. Uncle Mike was retreating back to the house. He was giving me space. Glad he did. He wouldn't be proud of what I would be doing next. I pulled myself off of the ground and walked to the car. The driver let down the window.

"What do you want, Jinx?" I asked harshly, not in the mood for her games. Jinx, who had on shades and her pink hair pulled back into a ponytail, just motioned to the passenger seat. I walked around to the other side of the car and got in. Jinx pulled away from the curb and we left the park.

I sat, my anger subdue for the moment. Jinx was silent as she drove. I looked at the interior of the car. It was clean and nice. A lot different than I thought it would be, but somehow it fit Jinx perfectly. Despite how impulsive she could be, she was also precise and clean when she was.

"I've been thinking of where we should go for spring break." Jinx said, interrupting the silence in the car. I looked at her. She looked calm. That was rare for her. She usually looked like she had some business to take care of and it wasn't ever the nice kind. But then again, that is the case most of the time.

"What did you come up with?" I asked, suddenly tired.

"I was thinking we should go to California." I stared at her.

"What?" I asked, hoping I heard her wrong. But, of course, I didn't.

"You're going anyway. You might as well have friends."

"I have friends there. I don't need you or any of them coming anywhere near there. Besides, the last thing California needs is another gang going in there." She chuckled at bit.

"We don't want to move down there, Raven. We just want to support you during your races." That stopped me short. How did she know? She caught my look of surprise. "What you didn't think that we wouldn't figure it out? Royal is familiar with cars since his dad is a mechanic. He told me he looked at your friends' cars. You know it's funny. He told me that the only time he ever saw cars like that were cars that were used for street races."

"So my friends have fast cars, your point?"

"I'm not stupid, Raven, stop acting like I am. I know you're a street racer. Nothing to be ashamed of." I narrowed my eyes.

"You're running from them," I stated. She shook her head no.

"I don't run. I lure." Then it fall in place. All the extra time she wanted me to spend with them. All the chases, drive-bys, and fights that she's been getting me into.

"You're trying to make Southside follow you. You're trying to throw them off balance."

"Ever since Halloween, it's been a back and forth. Southside is starting to come back. I don't want them getting cocky. So we need to show them whose better." She looked at me, "And you're going to help."

Jinx parked the car. I didn't pay attention to anything while we were driving. She must have circled around the area because we were back at the park. I sat in my seat for a while, sensing Jinx had more to say. I looked at her and she was staring at my shirt. Or at least I thought that until she lifted up my necklace from Robin.

"Nice necklace," she said, "Who gave it to you? A secret admirer?"

"Something like that," I said nonchalantly. Jinx pursed her lips. I moved to open the door, when I stopped.

"We'll go this weekend. I was going to leave Wednesday anyway. Find your own way there. Call me if you need anything." Jinx smiled, glad that I went along with what she said. Again.

"Will do."

*****

I was restless waiting for the house to fall asleep. However, they tried my patience. I had to wait an extra hour before it was safe enough to leave. I exited out my window and sprinted to the clearing. I was thankful for the warmer weather as ran. The night air was refreshing. As much as I loved having Robin come to my room, I liked being outside with him. And running to him was a good thrill every now and then.

I saw Robin in the clearing and stopped to catch my breath. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Hey, Rae!" he called. I looked at him with a playful smile. He motioned me to come closer. I stepped closer before moving back and shaking my head. He gave me a non-serious mad face. I sighed before walking slowly towards him. He growled at me. "Get over here."

Only then did I sprint towards him and jumped into his arms. He laughed as we tumbled to the ground. I laughed along with me. I sighed in content as I leaned on his chest. I closed my eyes briefly as he stroked my hair.

"You're in a good mood." He commented. I sat up, looking into his eyes.

"I'm with you," I said. I lifted up my necklace. "And I'm still trying to figure out what this is for. But _someone_ won't tell me." Robin laughed softly before guiding my head back to his chest. I laid on it, feeling a little sleep but I didn't want to go to sleep yet. I stood up. Robin followed me with his eyes. I held out my hand.

"Walk with me?" I asked. He smiled and slipped his hand in mine. We started to walk through the forest to the stony rode near it. I intertwined our fingers with a smile. I looked at the starry sky above. "It's beautiful tonight."

"It's pretty." He said, "But you make it beautiful." I blushed at the compliment.

"Aw, that line was almost not cheesy." I said coolly. He saw right though as always.

"You liked it." I rolled my eyes. He grabbed me from behind and picked me up. I squealed but quickly covered my mouth to muffle it.

"Put me down!" I demanded quietly.

"Kiss me and I will."

"I can't." I said going limp. He put me down before I could slip out of his arms. I turned around ready to say something but silenced me with a kiss.

I smiled before I returned it. I wrapped my arms around his neck. Robin seemed to tease my lips only to satisfy me before I could complain. The same fire that burned in my veins every time we kissed ignited. These same unknown feeling that's been filling me lately came back. I stated to melt in his arms but something made me stop. I buried my face in his neck.

"What's wrong, Raven?" he asked. I could tell him about how I was feeling. But I couldn't. Not yet.

"Jinx wants to go to California." Robin raised his eyebrow at me.

"What?"

"She's been testing Terra. All the fights and stuff she's been making me do is all part of her plan to 'lure' you guys to follow her to California."

"Doesn't that place have more than enough gangs there already?"

"Yes it does. She's knows that I can keep them protected down there but she is trying extremely hard to get rid of Southside." I tightened my grip on him, "Trying to get rid of you."

Robin laughed a bit. He held me, placing a quick kiss on my forehead. I pushed him away.

"This is not funny. Why do you keep acting like it's a joke?"

"Maybe because you've been saying that same thing ever since we got together. Jinx plans something. It's going to hurt Southside and you said things like that." I shook my head. How could he be like this? I started to walk away but, as usual, he grabbed me before I could. He wrapped his arms around me. "Look. Raven, I know you worry about me but you can't keep doing this. Let me have some comic relief."

"That's easy for you to say. When did you ever have to watch someone shoot up a building that you know I'm in and hope that I was alive?!"

"Oh like it's easy for me to watch you riding with them and driving all over that place like you're crazy."

"Excuse me?" I said in a dangerous tone. He just narrowed his eyes at me.

"That first day you came to Southside and Terra shot out your back window." I stayed quiet as he said that. I remembered it perfectly. I also remember seeing him in my rearview mirror as I left. "Let me ask you something. Why do you street race?" I looked down before speaking.

"Why do ambassador's son sell drugs? Why do Company big shots have kids in gangs?" I lifted my eyes to meet his. "You already know the answer. I race because it's fun, dangerous, and if I ever get caught than Daddy takes the fall." I walked off, starting to leave him on the road by himself. I turned back before I went too far. "Don't convince Terra otherwise. Let her go to California. You can stay if you want but if you come I'll protect you."

I turned around and walked down the road. When I got back to the clearing, I was exhausted. A few minutes later, a shadow appeared in front of me. I didn't have to look up to know it was Robin. I did anyway.

"I don't understand why you're so determined to run from me every chance I get." He sat beside me. He placed a lingering kiss my temple. I closed my eyes hearing everything he didn't saw. I knew he was going through the same worries and troubles with me. Maybe even more, but every moment I was happy with him, the next morning I had to plot against him. I hated the back and forth.

"I'm tired of this." I whispered. He looked at me. "All this sneaking at night just to find ways to kill you in the morning just to lie to my family so they don't know what I'm doing at night and in the morning."

"I'm tired too." He told me. "But it only three more months and it'll all be over."

"And what if something happens in those three months?" I asked him dryly. He stayed quiet. I turned to him. He didn't look at me. He didn't give me an empty promise. I knew he wished he could promise me protection.

But he couldn't.

I kissed the side of his face. I wrapped my arm around him.

"I'm sorry, Romeo." I told him. He shook his head.

"Don't be, Juliet." He captured my lips. It wasn't a fiery, passion kiss. Instead of fire, it felt like sunlight warming me. It was comforting. Comfort to take away from the pain, if only for a moment.

*****

Terra sipped at the coke and rum in her hands, while Jinx smoked across form her. Terra looked over at the other buildings around. She sighed. Some times she actually like the Northside. _This is one of those times,_ she thought, a small part of her enjoying the quiet time that she was spending with Jinx. Jinx looked up at the sky.

"How's mom?" she asked. The rare times she sees her mom, it's always brief and to the point.

"She's fine." Terra answered. Terra remembered how close Jinx and her mom use to before. It all changed when they hit high school. "Dad seems fine."

"He is." Jinx answered. She sighed, taking another drag.

"So how's the boy toy?" Jinx asked sarcastically. Terra narrowed her eyes.

"Not funny." She mumbled. Jinx rolled her eyes.

"So are you coming to California?"

"We'll be there." Terra promised. Jinx smiled. They didn't speak much for the rest of the night but they both were meeting in the middle. As far and few as the opportunities were, there were times they could just be each other's sister. And they never let it go to waste.

"Terra," Jinx said. Terra turned her head. She bit her lip. She knew how hurt Terra was when that guy (what's his name…Robin) broke up with her. For the few times they saw each other, she saw how happy they were. For a while they looked lie they were in love. Unfortunately, she was only half right.

"What is it, Jinx?" Terra asked. Jinx swallowed her pity and spoke.

"What kind of gifts did Robin get you?" Terra looked away quickly she didn't want to think about that. To think about their relationship, no matter how brief it was, it was painful. She can't believe how stupid she was to think that Robin could possibly feel the same she felt about him. She kept telling herself that it was okay, and it was okay to be just friend. But that was before he ended it.

"_Hey, Robin." She said. She leaned over to kiss his cheek but he backed up._

"_Terra…we really need to talk." Robin said. Terra gave him a confused look._

"_About what?" She asked warily. She wasn't going to like this. Robin wiped his face before saying anything. He only did that with bad news. She really wasn't going to like this._

"_I can't keep doing this, Terra." Her eyes grew wide._

"_Please tell me you are not trying to quit Southside." She slammed her locker close with a loud bang. People started to look over at them. She ignored them._

"_No, I'm not. Could you please not make a scene?" Robin crossed her arms._

"_I'm not afraid of them. Anything you have to say can be said to me right here." She said, motioning to the crowd that was building. He sighed. Apparently he was going to have to do this the hard way._

"_You know what, fine." He said, "I'm sick of this."_

"_Of what?"_

"_You know _exactly_ what I am talking about, Terra!" he shouted, "I've tried not to hurt your feeling but I'm not going to sit around here like what you're doing is okay. I'm sorry, Terra, but we are_ over_. I'm not your boyfriend. Stop acting like I am."_

_Robin walked away from her after that. Terra was stunned in the hallway. The crowd mumbled behind her. She didn't pay attention to them. She just walked out the school to the abandoned house down the street. She was to empty to care that she was crying._

"Terra?" Jinx called. Terra snapped out her thoughts.

"He, um, used to get me candy and flowers. Maybe a t-shirt every now and then." She said, realizing how shallow all his gifts were. "Why did you want to know?"

"No reason. Just curious." Jinx lied. Now Jinx knew there were two possibilities: either Raven wasn't seeing him or it was a lot more serious that she thought.


	18. Part 1: Fast Lane

Chapter 18 Part 1:_ Fast Lane _

I waited at the state border with Roy, Wally, and Karen. It was near midnight and we were waiting for Jinx to come. Karen was blasting music in her car with Wally behind me walking through the forest, the biggest sign of them being bored. I shook my head at Karen. That girl will go deaf soon enough. I looked over to see Roy coming over.

"Hey, Raven," he greeted sitting on the hood of my car beside me. I nodded looking down the road once again. Still no sign. I rolled my eyes. Of course, of all people, Jinx would be late. Roy just laughed at me.

"Be patient. You're not exactly punctual either."

"Yeah but I know that. Jinx's just being a hypocrite." I said matter-of-factly. Roy just shrugged. It grew quiet after a while. The song switched in Karen's car and B.O.B's _Don't Let Me Fall_ blasted out the speakers_. _I smiled a bit as the first words come out through the speakers.

"_Well it was just a dream/Just a moment ago/I was up so high, lookin' down at the sky/Don't let me fall…" _I nodded along with it.

"I think it's a little too late for you." Roy said. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "So when am I going to meet this guy?"

I blushed at the statement. Leave it to Roy to see right through me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I said, trying (and failing) to sound nonchalantly. Roy just gave me his don't-even-try-that look.

"'_Tis but thy name that is my enemy…_

_Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, _

_Which mannerly devotion shows in this; _

_For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,_

_And palm to palm is a holy palmers' kiss…'_" he said mockingly. I ground my teeth together to stop my jaw from dropping.

"Karen…"I said, looking at the bright yellow camaro that was visible in the dark.

"You act like she wouldn't have asked for my help." He said with a smirk. "So, obviously, this guy is dangerous if you're quoting Shakespeare." I stayed quiet as he looked at me. "Who is he, Nevah?"

"Someone," I said, irritated, "and yes. He is dangerous." I could practically hear Roy roll his eyes.

"You and this obsession with dangerous guys." He said more to himself than to me.

"This one is different." I said softly.

"You said that about X, too." I bit my lip as a familiar pain entered me. One thing I love and hate about Monty is he never censors anything. Not even X, one of my most painful memories.

"And I was right." I was surprised at how hollow my voice was. I was comforted by the image of Robin that my brain produced. "But this guy…" I trailed off. No words could really describe his accurately. He just shook his head.

"I want meet him." He told me. I shrugged. What's wrong with that? I was going to introduce Robin to my crew anyway.

"Fine." Our conversation died as a long line of car lights slowed down in front of us. They all pulled over. Some cars had booming music and moved fast while others seemed to drag behind. One car always was in the front.

Royal's car drove to the side of the road smoothly. Royal got out and waved a quick hello to me before moving to the passenger side. He opened the door, revealing Jinx, who took his hand as he helped her out the car. She smiled at him briefly before walking to me.

"You own me gas money." She said as a greeting. Roy raised an eyebrow at me. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"You didn't have to come, Queenie." I said. I looked behind me as I heard the music from Karen's car stop. She and Wally were standing beside her car, silently with a grim look. "I'm sure you remember Roy, Karen, and Wally." Jinx looked over them quickly. She wasn't impressed. I didn't care. Wally bounced to my side.

"Hello, Angel," he said mockingly. She moved to get her gun but Royal stopped her. He wrapped his arm around her waist. He said something in her ear quietly. I saw her relaxing and smirked at her. She glared at me.

Royal quickly whipped out his gun and shot the tree closest to Wally. A warning shot.

Wally jumped at the sound. I caught him in my arms before he fell to the ground, hearing some Northsiders snickering. I dropped him from my arms. Royal walked away from Jinx to Wally. Wally backed up a bit as he approached.

"Next time I won't miss." He said. Jinx stepped up in front of me with a Cheshire cat smile.

"Southside is on their way." She told me.

"Okay. We're going to the races." I told her. She moved back to her car and everybody else followed her. I helped Wally off the ground. "I warned you."

"I didn't think she was serious." I rolled my eyes at his nativity. He obvious doesn't learn from the first time he makes a mistake.

"Whatever," I said. "Let's just go." I walked to my car (Ferrari 599 GTO). Karen hopped in hers and speed off, weaving between the Northside cars. Roy walked up to my window, knocking on it. I let it down.

"You sure about this?" he asked the, nodding towards the parade of cars. I sat back in my seat as I looked at the drive off.

"I'm positive. Queenie needs to be knocked down a few pegs." I closed the window and drove off behind them.

"Man, why did you bring me down here with _her?" _Victor asked Robin. He sighed as they leaned against the diner they were at. Southside was inside taking up most of the space, with their queen in the middle. "You know I don't like being near her!" Robin rolled his eyes.

"You wanted to come."

"Because I thought we were going to hang out, not go on some chase with them!" Vic exclaimed pointing to the diner. Robin rolled his eyes. He grabbed his arm and pulled him farther from the building. Vic shrugged Robin off and continued walking it'll they were at his car. Vic looked down at it. "Since when did you get a Corvette?"

"It was a gift." He said dryly. Vic looked at him then got the idea.

"Your girl's from here right?" Robin nodded, "Well she better watch out." Robin looked at his best friend. Victor simply looked ahead towards Southside. His expression held an edge that told Robin that something bad was going to happen. And soon.

"What are you talking about?" Robin said in a dangerous tone. Vic just sighed.

"A few of weeks ago, Terra came up to me, talking 'bout how she wants me to keep an eye on you. I'm sure you know what that means from her." he said. Robin's anger flared. Now Terra was threatening his family. She must have been crazy to think she would get away with it.

Robin started to walk towards the diner. Victor didn't stop him. Robin opened the door and people went quiet as they saw his face. Soon the diner was silent as he approached Terra. She looked at him calmly. He lowered his face to hers.

"We need to talk." He said. Both were silent as Terra followed him to the back of the diner away from everyone else. Whispered conversation started up as they passed. He took a few deep breaths before speaking to her.

"Did you threaten Vic because he didn't want to be your spy?"

"Of course not." She said in a detached tone. Robin narrowed his eyes at her sarcasm. He felt his anger flare up as he stepped closer to him.

"Don't think just because you're the leader make you invincible. I don't want to hurt you but don't think I won't." He lied about the last part. He did want to hurt her. Badly. Terra saw it as clear as day in his eyes. But the last thing she was scared of was some _boy_ that made a sport of humiliating her. Terra concealed the smile that threatened to cross her face at her sudden plan. She knew exactly what to do.

"I'm sorry, _Robin_," she said through her teeth, spitting his name out like a poison. "It won't happen again." Terra walked away looking calm. She couldn't wait to talk to Jinx. For once, she would be speechless.

Jinx sat in the passenger of Kori's car quietly. Kori was amazed with everything she saw here. Jinx was annoyed by the bubbly excitement Kori constantly exhaled. For all that money the girl has, she really doesn't get out much.

"Oh look, Jinx! We have to go there. Oh, he's cute. I wonder how far from the beach we're going to be? I need to do a little shopping-" Kori rambled endlessly. Jinx rolled her eyes at the endless rambling. _I am never going on a road trip with another foreign person the rest of my life_, she vowed silently. She banged her head on the head cushion of the seat, wishing that anything-_anyone _- could save her.

Then her cell phone vibrated, alerting her that she received a text message. She quickly thanked the lord before opening her phone. She saw that she didn't recognize the number.

Wanna do me a favor? –T, it said. She knew it was Terra. What did she want? How did she get her number? Oh, yeah. She gave it to her the other night…

Depends on what it is? She replied. She looked over at r. She didn't notice anything and kept on talking. A few seconds later, she got another message.

I need u to take care a family member. Jinx's jaw dropped. She quickly closed it. But it was too late. Kori noticed.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Royal," Jinx lied, "He's talking about how stupid the guys are being." Kori didn't believe her. Jinx was hiding something. But Kori just shrugged and turned back to the road. They arrived at one of Raven's beach houses. Kori whistled. It was like a mini mansion. Kori knew Raven was rich but the extent of her wealth eluded her. Until now.

"Well she wasn't lying when she said she was rich." Jinx commented. They got out and got their bags out the trunk of the car. Kori opened the door eagerly. She squealed at the grand estate.

"It's amazing!" Kori said excited.

"Yeah, amazing," she said not looking around. She hurried upstairs with her bag. She settled on the first bedroom she saw and locked the door. She looked at the text once more.

I need u to take care a family member…She couldn't possibly mean taking out one of her own. Terra would never do that. Unless…Jinx typed a quick reply

Who?

A friend of a friend.

A friend of a friend? Who could that be? Jinx thought it through. Terra obviously wanted to hurt lover boy at this point. Whoever this person was is close to him but not in Southside. Jinx laid down on the bed thinking.

A family member… Jinx jolted up. She knew who Terra was talking about.

Consider it done. Txt me the details of when we have to visit them.She replied quickly. She lay back down with a smirk. Jinx couldn't it was expected. A mischievous grin spread of Jinx's face. This should be fun. She quickly dialed another number.

"Hey, Royal," she said in the phone, "How close to the house are you?"

I walked up to my beach house and could easily see that it was almost at its limit to how many people it could fit. I sighed before walking up the door.

"Talk about trespassing," Karen commented. I gave a glare. She put hands up as in defensive. I rolled my eyes before opening the door. All around me the house was in the process of chaos.

They obviously found the liquor cabinet.

"Hey!" I called. Nobody heard me. I scowled as I walked in. People were getting a little too comfortable for me. I ground my teeth together, looking for Jinx. As if she heard my silent call, she started walking down the stairs.

"Nice house you got here," she said.

"Tell your little army to stop wrecking it!" I told her, "The races start in a couple of hours. I've got to change and then we'll be heading out." I walked up the stairs with Karen before she could say anything. We were walking down the hall when I ran into Kori. We haven't been able to talk lately. Maybe we could this weekend.

When I saw her face, I saw her looking slightly distressed.

"What's wrong, Kori?" I asked her. She looked around. Northsiders were still moving around us. She bit her lip, looking nervous.

"We have to talk." She said. Karen raised an eyebrow at me. I hate to do this, but something told me this conversation wasn't for her. I nodded at Kori.

"I'll be there is a minute." I told Karen. She gave me a look of disbelieve before leaving with an angry stride. She'll make me pay for this one. I lead Kori to a guest room near the back. Luckily, nobody moved in it.

The room was a pale ocean blue. The white, wicker furniture made the room feel homey. The room had a balcony that held one of the best views of the ocean. You could even hear the wave's crash against the shore. I moved over to the balcony where the waves would block our words.

"What's going on?" I asked her calmly. This was obviously important enough that Kori would risk telling me. She rubbed her temples with a pinched look. I leaned against the railing, patiently. After a moment, she collected herself and spoke.

"Jinx is at it again." She said. "We were in the car when she started getting these texts. Obviously something caught her off guard with them. I asked her but she lied. And when we got here she locked herself in a room. I went to ask what's wrong but she had this weird smile on her face. Her phone was on her bed and I checked her messages. Luckily, she didn't delete them…"

I looked at her, waiting for the rest. The worry she felt started to show. It made me nervous. What was going on?

"What did they say?" I asked hesitantly. She pinched the bridge of her nose before telling me.

"It said…_I need you to take out a family member." _She told me.

I froze. I repeated it in my head with fear. She was trying to get rid of one of us?

"You don't think…"I trailed off. And then I felt a crushing weight on my chest.

Jinx wanted to kill me. Kori's eyes filled with tears as she looked at me. I hated it. It was the look you give a family member on the death penalty or the friend with cancer. They look at you like you're dying already.

"I don't know what's gonna happen." She said with tears starting to trail down her face, "She won't tell me anything since I'm your friend."

"Calm down, Kori. We don't know what she's talking about." I said with no emotion in my voice. I was surprised at how empty it sounded.

"But what if-"

"We don't know!" I yelled over the crescendo of the waves below us. "If is, then we'll just have to look out of any sign of it. But until then, we can't act like we know what she's talking about, especially if that's the only text you saw."

Kori calmed down slightly at my words. She nodded, willing to believe anything that had no possibility of her being right. I sighed before pushing off the rail.

"I'm gonna go get ready." I told her before walking away. Although I looked calm, my heart kept pounding in a creeping fear. What Kori was right? What if Jinx does want me dead? The thought hung in my mind with a teasing smile. It taunted at me as I changed for the races.

I walked out to my car with a stone face. This isn't the first time I had a death threat over my head. Why should I act like it is? Still…I could still see Kori's worried face in the front of my mind haunting me. As I entered my car, I thought back to a rainy afternoon by the pier. I thought of the tears that Robin couldn't hold in from the loss of his mother. He saw her die. And almost a decade later he still is haunted by it. And to lose me…

I felt my face melt into a worried look. Tears stung at my eyes about to slide down my face. What would he do without me? How could I tell him the possibility of it? How would he handle it? I pushed my head back on the headrest as I started to hyperventilate. My heart raced so fast, her chest started to hurt.

A knock pulled me out of my panic. I checked my face quickly before putting on a calm face. I rolled down the window. Roy was leaning over it.

"We ready to go." I nodded before closing it. I shook my head, trying to snap out of my panic.

I didn't have time for it. I couldn't be Robin's girlfriend right now. I had a job to do. Any distraction could jeopardize everything. I took a few deep breaths before starting my car. Soon my head cleared and I pressed the gas, willing for the car to go faster.

Even if it killed me.

Royal entered Jinx's room at a slow, relaxed pace. Jinx sat up, her knees resting on the bed. She smiled and held out her hand. Royal returned her smile and took her hand. He kissed her hand sweetly. He led her off the bed into his arms.

"My queen," he greeted. He kissed her with a gentleness that was rarely given to Jinx. She smiled against his lips, feeling herself melt on to him. Jinx never felt she was in a safe place until she was in Royal's arms.

Jinx met Royal the summer before ninth grade. Jinx had raced out of her house with the news of her parents' divorce and the separation of her and her sister fresh in her mind. Her eyes were filled with tears that she didn't left fall. She raced to the abandoned railroad near her house and sat there. Only when she was there, did she let herself give in to the sadness that consumed her. Jinx sobbed uncontrollably, not noticing that someone was watching her.

She felt an arm wrap around her. Jinx jumped, looking up. She was met with the kindest pair of brown eyes she's ever seen. The young boy didn't pull his arm from around her shoulder. He just squeezed her shoulder in a comforting way.

"It'll be okay." He told her. Jinx sniffed, wiping at her tears.

"How do you know that?" she asked him, her voice hoarse from crying. The boy shrugged his shoulder.

"I don't know. But it will be. It has to eventually." He told her. She gave him a water smile and he returned it.

From then on, Royal protected her. Jinx never had to worry about being left in the rain or being alone in the world. No matter how bad things got, she would just turn around and look at Royal. And he would comfort her with a kind-eyed smile.

Jinx pulled back from their embrace. She stroked the face of her guardian. She walked back to the bed and sat down. Royal followed. He lay down beside her, placing his head in her lap. Jinx stroked his hair lazily while she thought about how to bring up the proposal she accepted. She bit her lip nervously.

Would she really want to risk Royal like that? After everything he's ever done for her, could she ask him to kill for her? It wouldn't be the first time but, then again, they weren't home on the streets getting shot at. A sigh slipped out her lips before she realized it. However, Royal did.

"What are you thinking, Jinx?" he asked in his ever quiet voice. He never really raised his voice when he was with her. Jinx looked down at him. She looked away as she continued to think. Royal waited patiently. He always did.

"I got a tip off earlier." She said quietly. Royal sat up, suddenly all business.

"What is it?" he asked. Jinx bit her lip. She was going to hate herself for this.

"I heard about a problem in the ranks with Southside. Terra's sidekick, Robin, is causing trouble. Him and his cousin." Jinx looked at him with a blank expression, "I hoping you could take of them out for me."

"What?" he said with a mixed of confusion and disgust, "No, Jinx." He stood up to walk out but Jinx beat him to the door.

"Just listen real quick, please." She pleaded him. Royal looked at her for a moment before sighing and sitting down. "That cousin of his is the son of the chief of police. Robin has been walking on thin ice with us lately. If something happens to him, the police are going to come down on us and come down hard."

"They already are, Jinx. No cousin of his is going to change that-"

"Except when Southside starts riding around on our streets, causing trouble." She cut him off. Royal lay back on the bed and groaned in frustration. Jinx could tell he was thinking about it. She knelt down in front of his. Royal sat up, looking down at her. "You know I don't want you to do this but it's too good of an opportunity to miss. If we get the cousin, then Robin will go to Terra for a fight. When she says no and tells him to wait, he'll fall apart. Soon, everything that Terra built will crumble. And since the gang scene is so big here, we'll be gone before they can catch us."

"I don't know about all this, Jinx." He told her. "This…this just doesn't feel right for me." Jinx put her head on his knee. She would hate herself for the rest of her life for what she was about to say.

"Well would you rather wait until they get the same idea?" she asked. Royal tensed at the question. She knew it would be seconds be her relented and agreed.

"Okay," he whispered. "I'll do it." Jinx looked up and saw the troubled look in his eyes. She felt the biggest wave of guilt she's ever felt in her life. Jinx knew she didn't deserve him. But she was too selfish to let him go. She just couldn't. Jinx moved on the bed to sit next to him. She kissed the side of his face, before burying hers in his shoulder.

"Thank you," she said.

"One condition," he said. She looked up. Royal moved his arms around her until he was cradling her in his arms. He stroked her face before pulling out a chain. On it was a silver ring with a circle of diamonds. "When we get out of here, we'll be together." He dropped the ring in her hand and cupped her hand around it.

Jinx knew what Royal meant. When all this Northside stuff was over and they could go away. She looked at the engagement in her hand and smiled. There was no one she would rather run away with. She hugged him, reassuring him.

"Yes." She accepted. Royal smiled with a gleam in his eyes. He placed the chain around her neck and kissed her.

"Thank you." He said.

"Thank _you._" She emphasized. She owed Royal everything. Jinx held him tight to her, letting herself enjoy this moment before it had to end.


	19. Part 2: Haunting Past, Ominous Future

Chapter 20:_ Fast Lane Part 2_

The races were packed with the smell of burned rubber filling everybody's nose. Music was blasting out trailers, mixing in a cacophony of sounds. The screams of viewers added to the blend. I smiled as I felt the excitement of the crowd around me. Karen was jumping up and down by my side as she watched one of the races.

"Did you see that?" she yelled in my ear. "Gary's gotten better!" I looked over at one of my few friends I had in the racing circuit. Gary, or Garfield (his real name), was a year younger than me and a cousin of Monty's. Unlike Monty, he was very immature in the way he handled himself around people. But when he raced…only a few stood above him. He was one of the best. Of course, I was _the_ best.

"Let's go say hi." I said. I looked at Jinx. She stood with her usual entourage looking slightly uncomfortable. This was not here kind of place. I held back a smirk as I walked over to her. She looked at me with a blank expression. "I'm gonna go talk to a friend. You think you can handle yourself while I'm gone?" Jinx scowled at me. I just smiled smugly at her discomfort before walking away with Karen.

We approached Gary. I noticed there was a girl who was trying to catch his attention with him. She was obviously a groupie with the way she talked and could barely hold his attention. I looked over at Karen to if she noticed her too. She did. She nudged me and gave me a mischievous smile. I knew exactly what she was thinking. I nodded. She ran up to Gary and hugged him around the neck. The girl jumped back in surprise at Karen's sudden arrival.

"Gar!" Karen exclaimed. "Oh my god, baby! I've missed you!" Karen pulled back. Gary's face held a confused smile. The groupie stood with an angry frown. Karen pretended not to notice as she kissed Gary on the cheek. It was my cue to come in.

I walked up to Gary with an angry look. He turned to me looking scared. I almost broke my composure at the look. I wouldn't be surprised if he wet his pants. Karen moved away from Gary as she saw me. I stomped right up to her.

"What are you doing?" Karen faked a shocked look.

"Oh my goodness, Rae," she said, "Its-it's not what it looks like!"

"I can't believe you did this to me!" I yelled at her. Gary tried to come between but I stopped him with one look. He turned pale and stepped back. I turned back to Karen who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh. Groupie girl was slowly backing away. I turned to her before she could.

"And you!" she jumped as I addressed her. "You think you can just show up here and fall all over my man and get away with it?"

"Um, I-ugh-I didn't mean to-to," she stuttered. I twisted my face up, like my dad does at me. The girl looked terrified. I held back a smirk as I yelled at her.

"LEAVE! NOW!" I yelled. She scrambled away. When she was far enough away, I started laughing. Karen laughed along with me. Gary looked at us in confusion but quickly understood.

"Raven!" he exclaimed.

"Why did you point me out? It was Karen's idea." I told her. She smiled innocently at him. His jaw dropped at her.

"Aw, come on," she said, kissing his cheek again, "You were bored with her anyway." Gary looked away from us, trying to hide the blush he had on his face from Karen's kiss. She smirked at me. I shook my head. She knew Gary liked her _way_ more than just friends.

"Hate to break away from your fun," Roy said from behind me, "But I think we should start racing."

I nodded moving back to the Northsiders. They were all around the place. I spotted Kori with a DJ type. She caught my eye and waved in excitement. I nodded back at her, and then went off looking for Jinx. After a few minutes of searching, I found her. She was talking to a driver with Royal standing behind her. He looked like her guardian with his arms wrapped around her waist. I approached her, getting a clear view of the driver she was talking to. I scowled.

"Jinx!" I called. She turned to me with her usual business look. The driver looked at me with a sadistic grin.

"Raven, baby," he said to me. My scowl deepened.

"Malchior," I said briskly. I turned my back to him, facing Jinx. "The races are gonna start soon."

"You racing, sweetheart?" I grinded my teeth.

"Yes, I am." I told him. He grinned at me. My skin prickled. I hated that grin. It screamed "I want you and I'll get you, whether you like it or not." It was a grin that no girl ever wanted to see. Maverick loved giving it to me.

My skin grew cold as I remembered a time I saw it on someone else…

"Well, then, why don't we race for slips?" he challenged, pointing to the deep blue convertible corvette. I looked over it, unimpressed.

"Your cars are below my standard." I told him, bluntly. "But I'm sure money will suffice." Maverick chuckled a bit. He reached into him pocket. He held up a roll of money.

"$10,000 good for you?" I shook my head. If he wanted a race, he would have to pay big. It no secret his parents are millionaires. He's got more than that. He sighed, feigning disappointment. He reached into his jacket, pulling out two thicker stack of money. "How about $50,000?" I thought about it before nodding.

I walked away with Jinx following me. I didn't say anything as I told Kris to get the money. Jinx waited patiently behind me. I turned to her before I entered my car.

"Watch and be amazed." I said smugly. She rolled her eyes before looking away. A wicked gin came to her face.

"And just in time for an audience." She said. I looked over my shoulder and saw a crowd of people in white. A girl with a drawn face looked over at us. My heart started beating faster as my eyes moved to the guy next her.

So Southside finally arrived.

"How lovely," I responded. I walked to my car without another look.

As I got in, my nerves started to grow. Malchior was one of the few I lost to when I first started racing. I don't know how good he is anymore. And truth be told, Malchior scared me. He reminded me too much of X. His smile…it haunted me in my nightmares. I rode my car up to the starting point. Maverick was waiting for me. I looked over to him. He gave me one of his grins. I turned away before I could panic. _Get yourself together Raven,_ I thought to myself_, he doesn't matter. He's no longer better than you. _Tonight would be different. Tonight he would lose. I'll make sure of that.

The flagger stepped in between us. I waited with my nerves coiling up, ready for him to say go.

"On your mark…get set…GO!"

I shot off in the dark, not looking at Malchior as I did. I only focused on the road in front of me. I had the urge to look back but fought it. Roy said it doesn't help. It only makes you panic more. Still I looked out the corner of my eye and saw two people. Roy came into view first. He was staring me down, telling me to look forward. And when I was, I saw Robin. He caught my eye and something, not sure what, shot through me. And then he was gone.

An out-of-body calm took over me. My head cleared. I was only conscious of the fact that I need more speed. The meter climbed at what seemed to be a slow pace. The other flagger that signaled the end of the race came into view. I only saw them for a millisecond before I passed them. I spun to a stop. My heart was beating a mile-a-minute. For a second, I couldn't concentrate. Everything seemed to freeze.

Then life started to play again. The crowd cheered, moving up and down. I watched Malchior cross the line after me. I grinned in satisfaction. I drove back to the start to meet the crowd. Many Northsiders stood cheering along with the crowd. I allowed myself a quick smile before composing my face into a calm look. I knew I would win.

It was near 2 o' clock in the morning when I decided to leave. Karen and Roy left a half an hour earlier so I would go stay the night with them.

I would let Northside have the house for the night. I never liked spending the night with them anyway. I held out the key to Jinx. She took them confused.

"I'll be back later," I told her. I started walking away when I turned back. "Don't wreck my house." Jinx smiled innocently.

"No promises," I rolled my eyes before walking away to my car.

I was leaving when I felt someone grab me. The person pulled me forcefully in their chest. I cringed away from their touch. This wasn't Robin. And cold sweat broke out across my skin. I knew exactly who it was. Malchior wrapped his arms around me. I tried to push him away but he only tightened his hold.

"Thought you could just get away?" he asked. I didn't answer as I struggled against him. I stabbed his foot with my stiletto heel. They easily tore through Malchior's shoe. He yelped in pain, instinctively letting me go. I pushed him away from me but he grabbed me again. Suddenly, Malchior grip on me was loosened. Before I knew it, he was on the ground. I whipped out my gun, pointing it directly at him. I looked over to see who helped me. The figure was masked with shadows but knew it was Robin. Nighttime visits help when trying to identify someone in the dark.

"Baby," I greeted him. He smiled at me as he approached Malchior. Before he could even try to stutter an apology, Robin's foot was on his throat, threatening to crush his.

"You have three seconds to apologize to Rae," he warned. Malchior narrowed his eyes at him. "One…two…three…"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry." Malchior said in pain. Robin put more pressure on his throat.

"And?"

"And I'll never touch you again." Malchior squealed. I held back a laugh. Robin looked at me with a menacing grin. Excitement filled me as I saw it. Robin's smiles were usually goofy but this one was refreshingly new. It was…sexy. Robin moved his foot off his hand. He grabbed mine instead and we walked away.

"He's coming back for you!" Malchior yelled. I stopped and looked back at him. Robin gave me a confused look but I barely noticed as Malchior grinned at me. Cold fear gripped my heart. He couldn't mean…I turned towards my car but Malchior continued to speak. "He's coming back for you." He repeated.

"Rae, what's he talking about?" Robin asked.

"Do have someone who can take your car tonight?"

"Yeah, I got Vic-"

"Good." I dragged him back to my car. I jumped in and waited as he walked to the passenger's side. I drove off at 80 mph before we were two yards away, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Robin was silent as we left. I focused on the road, trying to lose myself in the distance. Robin didn't interrogate me as I ignored his looks of concern. I heard him call somebody.

"Hey, Vic," he said to the phone, "Tell Terra I'm staying with you tonight." I relaxed a bit as I heard his voice. My grip loosened as I focused on his voice. It lulled me a bit and I pulled over. He hung up. He looked up out the window. We sat there, not exactly what to say after that. I let my hair fall in my face, shielding my face. He didn't try to brush it back.

"You want to tell me what happened back there?" he said with no emotion. I knew it wasn't far below the surface. I didn't say anything. He touched my hand. My eyes went to his face. He was staring intensely at me. I could see the confusion and worry in his eyes. Robin moved his hand to my face, making sure I wouldn't turn away. "Raven, you're starting to scare me. What was that guy talking about?" I closed my eyes as my fear pelted me once again. I struggled to breath. I felt Robin pull away. My eyes shot open. He was getting out the car. I closed my eyes in despair. _I guess he would've left sooner or later_, I thought before I saw my door open. Robin held out his hand. I put mine in it, feeling lost. He pulled me up, sat down in the driver's seat, and pulled me to his lap. Instinctively, I leaned my head against his chest. "Tell me." He whispered. I closed my eyes.

"Malchior was X's best friend. We raced once before and I lost. He tried to take my car even though we raced for money. I refused and he tried to attack me. X saved me from him. Then later I found out that it was a set up to make X look good. That was one of the other things that I confronted him about that night. They stilled talked after X got arrested…" I could almost hear it click in Robin's head. He tightened his hold on me.

"I'll kill him." He said with more menace than I ever heard him use. I pressed myself farther into his chest.

"It would help me sleep at night." I said, subconsciously moved my hand to my key necklace, "but there are scarier things."

I looked up at him. He had a look of guilt in his eyes. I touched his face and he moved his gaze to meet mine. I sent him a small smile. I sighed as I got out his lap. Robin looked at me confused. He was about to get up when I motioned for him to stop. I walked over to the passenger's side and got in.

"Come on, let's go." I said, "Roy wants to meet you." He gave me a look of disbelief. I never let anybody drive my car.

But Robin wasn't just anybody.

Robin's face broke out into a wide smile. It seemed to brighten the car, lifting it of its tension from earlier. He turned the car back on and drove off.

"That was amazing!" he told me, with excitement. I smiled at him, tossing the keys back and forth in my hands.

"I know." I told him smugly. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing my neck quickly. I held back a sigh.

"I can see why you like it so much." He said in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine. I pulled out of his arms, hoping he didn't notice my reactions, and held his hand. He moved his arm around my shoulder. Anything for me to be closer to him. My nerves started to come back as the garage can into view. I pulled us to a stop before we could be seen.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" I asked him, "Roy is kind of hard to please."

"Oh come on," Robin said with confidence. "I'm a good guy. It won't take much to prove it. Relax. Just like tough clients of dads and single overprotective moms, he'll love me." I gave him a look before I started to drag us towards the garage.

I used an encoded key to open the door for us. I motioned for him to go first. He steeped in and looked around. I could tell he was a little disappointed at first. I would be too. The first thing you see is a regular garage with two cars that need repairs and tools on the wall. Roy was at a desk in the far corner a light flickering off and on. He looked up when he heard us come in. He stepped around the desk, walking up to us. Roy held out his arms to me. I gave him a hug. He held me tight against him, pulling me to his side, away from Robin. I rolled my eyes as he moved his arm over my shoulder to look back at Robin. I saw a flicker of jealousy in his eyes before he composed himself.

"So this is the famous and mysterious boyfriend." Roy greeted. I glared at him, not sure what he was trying to do.

"Well I wouldn't say that but," Robin looked at me, "I'm sure she likes my company more than most." I smiled at him. Roy nodded at him.

"I guess that could be true," He said, turning both of us away from Robin, "but I highly doubt it." Monty started making me walking away. I looked back at Robin. He was dumbfounded. I gave him an "I told you so" look. He rolled his eyes at me before following us. Roy led me into his office, where Karen and the twins were tossing something back and forth.

"Hey Raven," Karen greeted, lazily. She looked over at me as she tossed something to Kris. Her eyes looked past me and widened. I felt Roy's arm tighten around as he saw Karen's reaction. I looked behind me and saw Robin right behind Roy. I had no idea they were the same height. "And who is this?" She said with a mischievous smile. I got an idea.

"I'll give you a hint," I said, pulling away from Roy. I stood in front of Robin. He gave me a questioning look. I rolled my eyes as I leaned up to him. I kissed him gently. He moved his hands to cup my face, to keep me from pulling away. I almost forgot that anyone else was in the room. Almost.

When I pulled away, I looked at the crowd staring at us. Kris's jaw dropped. Kane looked like he was about to pass out. Karen was smiling her "I knew it!" smile. Roy just looked irritated.

"Thank you for that lovely display." Roy said sarcastically. I opened my mouth to speak when Karen said something.

"So this is Romeo." A small pain filled my chest. I looked at Robin. A shadow came over his face as he looked away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roy raise an eyebrow at us. I recovered first and fast enough to avoid more suspicion.

"There is no Romeo." I told Karen, feigning an annoyed tone, "This is Robin."

"Yeah, well, he's your Romeo." She clarified. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Anyway," I said. I saw a movement in the corner of my eye. It came from behind from Karen. I walked over to her and looked over her shoulder. The movement was someone moving in the design room. I tilted my head, slightly confused. I walked into the room. Along with movement, there was the noise of someone drilling. I looked around and saw someone standing at the work station in the very back of the room. I walked quietly over to the person.

It was Garfield working on something. I tilted my head, getting a better look. A possessive anger washed over me. How dare he work on the new engine _I _ordered in _my_ garage? He didn't notice me approach him, too busy focusing on the project in front of him. I smirked as I moved behind him. I smacked my hand on the table.

Boom!

Garfield jumped, dropping the tools. He turned around. A squeal escaped his lips as he saw my glare. I bared my teeth at him. He already knew that I wasn't pretending this time. I grabbed his shirt, pulling him to me.

"What are you doing working on _my_ engine?" I snarled at him. I heard stifled laughter behind me. Garfield trembled under my gaze, looking as if he would pass out any second. If I wasn't so mad, I would've broke out in laughter at his reaction.

"I-I…" he trailed out fainting. I dropped him to the ground. I heard the crowd behind me breakout into laughter. I heard someone clapping behind me. I turned to see Roy approaching me. He was still laughing when he put his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged his arm off. That only made him laughs louder.

"Will you relax, Raven?" he said through his laughter. "I was gonna tell you earlier but you were busy.

"Tell me what?" I asked Roy, through my teeth.

"Garfield wanted to do something more than racing, so I let him try designing. He's actually pretty good."  
I narrowed my eyes at Roy. I walked over to the work station and looked down at Garfield's blueprints. Unfortunately, Roy was right. The kid is pretty good.  
"You should have told me, Roy." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "You know how I hate surprises." Roy rolled his eyes. He walked over to Garfield and picked him up from the floor. He placed him on an empty work station. He looked down at Garfield, probably thinking of how long it'll take the kid to wake up.

"Why don't you go talk to Karen?" Roy suggested. "You know she has questions."  
"Yes, I do." Karen responded, appearing at my side. She hooked her arm in mine and started to drag my away from the group. She walked over the door that was at the other end of the work room. I looked back at Robin. He sent me a small wave, looking nervous. It clicked what Roy and Karen were doing. They were trying to get Robin alone with Roy so he could ask the question Roy assumed her need to ask. I held back a laugh, the image of Roy berating Robin with questions entering my mind. Then I frowned at my next thought.

That was a father's job. A loving, caring father's job…

Before I could think of anything else, we were in Karen's room. She pushed onto the bed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Now spill." She demanded. I rolled my eyes at her. I stayed quiet as she stared me down. I let out a frustrated growl.

"Fine!" I relented. Karen gave me a mischievous smile. "We met up months ago."

"Months?" Karen exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. "And I'm finding out just now? Tell me everything!" I groaned. I knew at some point, I would have to explain to Karen everything that's happened. But now that I actually have to, I was nervous of how Karen would react. I never knew with Karen. Some things I think she'll be mad at, she laughs at. Some things that I think is funny, she gets sad about. I only know what's running through her head half the time. But this is still Karen. And she wouldn't go all crazy on me.

Right.

"Okay," I agreed. "But no interruptions and leave all questions till the end, when I'm done." Karen nodded eager to hear the story. I sighed. I told her everything, from how we first met to Valentine's Day and Terra to what just happened with Malchior. Karen listened, patiently. Her eyes would widen in shock at times. She would 'aw' at all the right parts and get quiet at the less happy moments. I finally summed up everything that happened up to that point and waited for her reaction.

"Wow," she said. I chuckled a bit at her response, watching as she took it all in. "Wow." She repeated, "Oh my god. Are you kidding me? I mean you can be dramatic but really? I can't wait to tell Roy. He's gonna freak-" I placed my hand over her mouth to stop her from talking.

"You can't tell anybody." I said, a surge of protection going through me. It was so intense that I didn't realize that I was squeezing Karen's mouth closed, until she started to squirm under my hand. I loosened my grip on her and she immediately moved out of reach, pushing me away a little. She rubbed the sides of her faces with an annoyed look.

"Okay, okay." She said, "Sheesh, get a grip. Not literally." She held her hands in front of her, ready to grab me if I reached out to her. I rolled my eyes with a playful smile before looking around at Karen's bedroom. It was a stark contrast with the rest of the garage.

Her walls were yellow with a black strip and racing bumble bees drawn as if they came out of a comic strip (that she painted). She had black carpet. Her bed was a light yellow with lots of pillows that matched. There were a dozen racings jackets that hung next her closet. She had a mini fridge with various rums and coffee drinks (I never understood the obsession). A couple of black and yellow bean bags were on the floor near her bed with a black dresser with a mirror and bedside table.

I missed her room.

"I miss this place." I told her. She looked around her room, a look of nostalgia in her eyes. She sighed, nodding.

"I missed you being here." She said. They she perked up, remembering something. "That reminds me," Karen jumped from her bed to the closet. She started looking through it and I let my eyes wander around the room. My eyes landed on one of Karen's sketch pads. I lifted it off her bedside table, looking through it.

Various drawings of bumble bees and race cars filled my vision. Karen's drawings were a lot better than most. She's had various people begging her for a drawing or a painting. She says she wants to be like Stan Lee when she grows up. I chuckled a bit at the thought. I flipped the page and saw something I never thought I would see. Teen Titans…

"Here it is," I heard her say. The book was ripped out of my hands two seconds later. "Raven!"

"What was that?" I asked her. She unlocked a safety box she put most of her drawing and painting and locked the book in there. I rolled my eyes at the gesture. "Seriously, Karen?"

"Seriously, you know how I feel about you looking at my stuff. And I got you this cute jacket." She said, tossing the jacket at me. It was a leather racing jacket. I laid it on my lap, before facing Karen. She looked uncomfortable, which is rare for her.

"You know you're good, Kare Bear."

"I know." She started picking up fallen clothes, "It's just that, I wasn't ready to show anybody that."

"I'm sure you would never be. You know how Roy hates being drawn in tights." I laughed. She laughed a little, too. "So you drew us in a comic strip. It's no big deal." From what I saw of it, it was good. It was me, Karen, Roy, and the twins in super hero costumes and posing as if we were about to fight. It wasn't finish but it was pretty close. Karen gave me her 'I'm serious' look, signaling that the conversation on that topic was over. I shook my head before picking up the jacket and trying that on. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. I just found my new second favorite jacket.

"You know, it sounds like you and Robin have done _everything_." Karen commented. I paused at how she said "everything", exaggerating it, making me understand her meaning.

"No, we haven't." I commented stiffly, uncomfortable with the subject already. Karen smirked, seeing how uncomfortable I was, and continued.

"Really? I mean, you said you guys would always sneak out and go on amazing dates. All the high risks that you have to take when you're in public. I mean, you can't help but find the whole forbidden love thing…sexy."

"Karen!" I exclaimed, turning to her. I felt the blood rush to my face, making me blush. Karen laughed at my embarrassment. I glared at her. "Nothing happened." Karen tilted her head, giving me an innocent and curious look. I went back to my reflection in the mirror trying to focus back on the jacket. Unfortunately, Karen was intent on going with the conversation.

"I don't see why." She said, "I mean you're crazy about him." No I'm crazy because of him, I thought but Karen continued oblivious to my deepening blush. "And he obviously loves you." My heart jumped into my throat and I couldn't breathe for a minute. I tried to shake the thought out my head but I've thought it and heard the words put together too many times not for the thought to get stuck in my head. Robin loves me? No he can't. It's too dangerous. He feels that way about a lot of other girls. There's no way he could possibly love me… "Don't you even feel tempted to?" Karen asked interrupting my thoughts. I snapped out of my stupor and focused on Karen's question. I squeezed my eyes closed, struggling to tell my best friend the truth.

"Of course I do," I said, finally. I moved to sit on the bed beside Karen. She waited for a moment, sensing how heavy this subject was. I sighed, leaning back on the bed, searching for what to say on the ceiling. "At first it was easy to brush it off because we barely knew each other. But now…" I sat up, meeting Karen's gaze. "Now I can't stop thinking about. Everytime we kiss or dance together or even when he just_ touches_ me, I can't help but think about it. I want him and he's implied countless times that he wants me but…" I looked at Karen, looking as helpless as I felt, "It just doesn't feel right. I don't want it to happen while we're mixed up with Jinx and Terra." Karen smiled sadly at me, the realization of the situation hitting her. She opened her arms to me. I hugged her as Karen's words haunted me.

"It'll be okay, Raven," Karen said softly. "It'll be okay." I hugged her tighter, hoping, praying, for her to be right.

"Okay, let's get this over with." Roy said, handing Robin a Coke. Robin took it wordlessly, feeling the exact same way. They were in Roy's room, near the front of the garage. Robin was impressed how big the place was, surprised by how small it looked from the outside. Roy's room wasn't very different from the front of the garage. Tools were scattered around the room. Sketches of engines and cars were pinned to the wall next to some targets painted on the wall. Despite how big Roy's room was it was also very empty. A bed, a mini fridge, a bedside table with a stack of books on it, and the small couch they sitting on were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Robin sighed lazily.

"Where do you wanna start?"

Raven warned him the entire ride of how protective Roy was of her. She told him that they were really close. Seeing them together from the first hug he saw how much of an understatement it was. The way he saw Raven looked so comfortable with him, it was deeper than just friendship. He knew they never dated and they didn't act like they did. But seeing them together… it wasn't exactly brother and sister.

And no matter what Robin said to himself, he couldn't help but be jealous.

"You and Raven," Roy said, throwing back his drink, some type of alcohol, "What is going on?"

"We met, we liked each other, and we started dating." He said, not accurately summarizing their relationship but not lying. Roy smirked at him, bitterly.

"I already know it's more complicated than that." Roy told him. Robin tensed up. What exactly did he know? Roy stood up standing in front of him. "But I guess I'll have to start asking more direct questions." Robin couldn't help but get nervous at Roy's mischievous smile. Roy went to his bed and laid on it, his hands behind his head. Robin leaned back on the couch, happy there was some space between them. It faded when he saw Roy pull out a bow and arrows.

"Let's try this again." Roy said. He loaded the bow, aimed it towards one of the targets on the wall, and released it. It was a bull's-eye. Robin swallowed thickly at the sight. Roy didn't look at Robin as he loaded another arrow. "So how did you two met?" Roy asked casually. Robin tried to relax as he answered the question.

"We met when she was walking through town one day." Robin said. He remembered it clearly. How Raven tried to create some space between them, but ended up letting him close it. It was first time he touched her. He could still remember the small spark he felt when he did. He saw Roy nod and shoot another arrow. He flinched from the sight.

"So she met you on the street and you guys just started hanging out." Robin thought for a moment. That pretty much summed it up. He nodded. Roy thought for a second before getting another arrow. "So if it was that simple, how come the situation is so complicated?" Robin took a shaky breath. That was a difficult question.

"Well," Robin started, taking a sip of his drink. He cleared his throat. "You know that gang Raven's been hanging with?"

"Yeah." Roy drawled slowly. He loaded the arrow once again, aiming it. Robin looked nervously at him, before answering. Roy didn't face him, wondering why Robin would bring that up.

"I'm part of the rival gang." Robin answered. Roy released the arrow, not prepared for that answer. The arrow missed the target entirely, instead hitting the area near Robin's head. Robin jumped away from the arrow, standing up. He looked back at Roy. Roy's face was contorted with anger.

"You're what?" Roy seethed through his teeth. He was off the bed and Robin's face in a second. He reminded Robin of an angry bull charging at the unfortunate matador with no cape. He knew which one he was.

"That's it!" Roy yelled at him. "You and her are over. Have you lost your mind? Are you trying to get her killed? I'll be damn if you think I'm gonna let put her in that kind of danger." Robin felt his own anger at Roy's words. He knew the risks. He lived them every day he was with her. He hated how he risks he had to take to make sure nobody knew about them, but he made them for her. And _he'd_ be damn if Roy thought he could just tell him what to do. He wasn't gonna let go of Raven for his approval.

"Don't go there." Robin warned. "I know the risk. Hell, me and her have been living them for the last 7 months! Don't think you can tell me to leave her alone and I'd listen. Because I won't. I'm not gonna let you or anyone else get in the way of me being with her."

"If you knew what was good for her, you would stay away." Roy said, his face almost s red as his hair.

"I _can't_!" Robin exclaimed, truth ringing in every word. He never realized how true the statement was. He hated being away from her, even now when she was only so far away. He knew that every time he snuck out his house to meet her, every time he blew Terra off so he could, the risks only grew higher. But he couldn't stay away if he wanted to. Robin sat down, thinking the words he knew she wasn't ready to hear but thought a million times in his head. _I love her, _he thought_, I'm addicted to her. _

Roy took deep breaths, not sure what he was he was mad at more. Raven for allowing herself to be in this mess or Robin for loving her enough to let her. Roy sat back down on his bed, running his hand through his hair. He knew a lost cause when he saw one. He sighed, knowing Robin wouldn't leave Raven, no matter what he said.

And Raven wouldn't let him.

He still had to ask one question. He laid back on his bed once again, picking up his bow and arrows. He didn't load any but the threat was still there.

"Did you sleep with her?" Roy asked nonchalantly. But Robin wasn't fooled. He knew Roy was anything but relaxed at this point. Robin leaned back, knowing the answer to that all too well.

"No." He said with a slight longing. He couldn't help it. The last few months have gotten a little rough, despite his trying not to let the want control him. She knew how bad he wanted to all to well, but Raven always said no. Would he leave her because of it? Not a chance in hell. But it was difficult to deal with. But he would wait as long as he needed. He had no other choice. He heard Roy sigh in relief. Roy sat up, his arms resting on his knees.

"Well since you won't listen to my first piece of advice," Robin opened his mouth to say something but Roy hand up. "Let me finish." Robin relaxed back into the couch. Roy pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a breath before continuing. "Raven's been burned pretty badly by her dad and her mom and, weather she admits it or not, with X, which I'm sure she told you. She has a hard time loving anybody, even us sometimes. If you really care about her, then don't let her push you away. It's not that she doesn't care. She just…" Roy gave him a brokenhearted look, "She just forgot how to. But if she loves you, you'll know. I promise you that."

Robin sat silently, digesting all of Roy's words. He knew what Roy was talking about. How Raven would constantly said that they should break up, how he should leave. He saw how cautious she was with him. Sometimes, when she didn't know he was looking at her, he would see this look of fear on her face. Like she was afraid he would leave her, too. Robin nodded in understanding. Roy started to stand and Robin followed him.

They walked into the front of the garage. A second or two later, Raven was there with Karen, chatting with a new jacket on. It looked amazing on her. Robin smiled at the sight of her. Raven turned and walked over to him with a slight bounce in her step. She wrapped her arms around him. He did the same, kissing her cheek.

"Let's drive around a bit." He suggested. Raven nodded, quickly agreeing. She grabbed his hand.

"I'll show were all the cars are at." She said, dragging him to another part of the garage. Karen shot them a quick smile. Roy watched them, feeling helpless. Karen moved next to him. Roy waited ten seconds after they left to speak.

"He loves her." He said with relief and worry. Karen sighed with the same feelings.

"And she loves him." She told him softly. "She might not say it, but I can see it in her eyes." Roy groaned in frustration, looking up at the ceiling. He never felt so helpless for one of his best friends.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked. Karen stayed silent. Neither of them knew the answer.


	20. Part 3: The Few Who Fall

_Part 3: The Few Who Fall_

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"_Yes."_

"Are you sure-"

"Yes! Now can I take off this blindfold off?" I covered my mouth to muffle my laughter at Robin. He was fidgeting. I knew he hated it when he couldn't see but I couldn't take the chance of him knowing the exact location of where the locations were. I stepped in front of him. I slowly moved my hands up to the blindfold.

He instantly relaxed under my touch. Karen's words echoed once again in my head. _And he obviously loves you_…I quickly slid my fingers up to the blindfold, not touching his skin. He frowned a little and I did too. I didn't want to make him unhappy but I need to be slightly calm for this. I removed the blindfold and stepped aside. His eyes blinked open and the awe came over his face. I bit back my smile as he took in the collection of cars.

"You like it?" I asked him, knowing he would say yes.

"How…how in the world did you steal this many cars?" he asked. I smirked as I walked further into the room.

"That's for me to know…and for you to know later on." I told him. He followed me wordlessly as we walked past different cars, all ranging from Aston Martin to Dodge to Ferrari to Audi. I turned to him when we reached the middle where the keys held. "Pick a car, any car." I said motioning to the cars around us. Robin thoughts for a second, looking around.

"How about Lamborghini? My dad never lets drive his." He said. I opened the lock on the key hold and pulled out a key for one of the Lamborghinis.

"Well tonight is your lucky night. The car is yours…at least for tonight." Robin smiled down at me. I felt myself go slightly speechless for a second. He took the keys from me and kissed my forehead.

"Let's ride."

"Come on, Robin. You can speed on the motorcycle but you can't go over one hundred?"

"Excuse me, if I'm not use to driving at 200 miles per hour." Robin shot back at me. I was slightly agitated at how slow he was going.

"I only drive that fast during the races, never on the street." I defended.

"How many speeding tickets do you have?" I shrugged.

"I lost count after the twins started making a mural out of all our tickets." Robin looked at me for a second before laughing. I laughed along with him, the sound filling the car. I pointed out directions to this one spot I would go that nobody knew about, near the cliff side. He followed obediently, messing with the radio every once in awhile for music(why do radio stations have so many commercials?) .

"You really should get a satellite radio." He said.

"I don't listen to the radio often and you don't ride in my car enough for me to want to."

"I'm buying you a new car _with _satellite radio." A small shiver went through me at the thought. Nobody except my parents has ever bought me a car before. Robin already knew how picky I was about what I wanted…he would buy me a car? I bit back another excited smile and resisted asking him if he really would or if he was just talking.

He probably would if he knew I wanted it.

"Or a motorcycle. You don't have one and I know where a good would be for you."

"I only like motorcycles under certain circumstances." I told him. He smirked at me, knowing what circumstances I was talking about. I smacked him on the arm. He just smiled before laughing at me quickly. "You're way too cocky for your own good."

"Oh and you aren't?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm not." I answered as he pulled into my secret spot.

"Liar." I heard him mumble.

"I heard that." I snapped. He rolled his eyes before meeting me in front of the car. He looked out at the view and got that same look of awe that I loved to see on his face.

"Wow…" he said, the word slipping through his lips. I stood beside him, looking out to the same ocean that shimmered under the moon that lit up the night, giving light to secrets and miracles; the same cliff side that's grass was soft with dew and warm with a cool breeze blowing every now and then. It's was okay during the day but at night…it became magical somehow.

"I found this place a couple of years ago. It's like my jazz club except no buildings or music. Or people."

"What do think about?" he asked me. I sighed trying to remember what I thought about.

"Mostly my dad and my crew." I told him. "I'll never regret sneaking out my house March 25, 2005." Robin looked at me asking an unspoken question. "I came back from a summer in Japan and found out from my mom that my father wasn't there, wasn't going to be there. When I called him from the phone earlier, he promised me that he would be there and we would go out for ice cream. I should have known that it was too good to be true…

"That night, after I was done crying, I snuck out. It was the first time. Every other time I would chicken out but that night something just made me feel invincible; that nothing could be worse than what had just happened. I ran out my neighborhood, jumping into the first cab I saw. I told him to drop me off at some random street, not caring where it was just as long as it was lit. I walked for a long time, going nowhere, before making a wrong turn. I was walking down at street and the streetlamps were flickering off and on. I saw some thugs following me and couldn't help but wish I would've changed into something else. Anything but the border school uniform I had on.

"I started to run when they got too close for comfort . They chased me down a dead end. I have never been so scared before in my life. I couldn't even scream. They were closing in on me and I tried to remember some self-defense but I was too scared. I blocked my arms over my head, waiting for the worst but it never came. Instead I just heard an engine sounding extremely loud for how quiet it was outside. After what seemed like forever, I opened my eyes and I saw someone standing in front of me, trying to see if I was hurt. He was holding a crowbar tightly in his hand but I knew he wasn't going to hurt me.

"I lowered my arms and he asked me if I was okay. I told him yeah and he said 'Good because running around in a place like this looking like that would've got you killed.'" I shook my head, chuckling a bit. "Roy, Roy, Roy…blunt form the start." I saw Robin tense up a little as I spoke. I wasn't sure if it was from me being so close to danger or his jealousy of me and Roy's relationship. I didn't look at him as I continued.

"He drove me home in his car, which was amazing. He still has it. I couldn't help but admire it and he saw me and asked me if I like cars. I shrugged, telling him I didn't know much about them. He was hungry so I snuck him into the downstairs kitchen and we talked about cars, or he did anyway. From then on, we hung out at his garage."

"How did you meet Karen?" he asked me. I laughed quickly at the memory.

"My and Kare Bear…we were crazy close from the beginning." I told him going on to the next story to his obvious relief. "I was walking down the street, doing a little shopping on my own, and I just see this girl fly by me but she knocked it my shoulder and she falls. I try to help her up but she kicked me away, kicking my stomach, and took off. And me, being me, I chased her down. I jumped on her back, knocking her down. But I didn't notice the cops behind me.

"They surrounded us, pulling me and her apart. They start to arrest her, this man talking a mile a minute. I was confused but saw something drop out of her jacket. It was a couple of sketch pads and some pencils. It was some real nice stuff. All of it cost like two hundred dollars. Karen couldn't afford it, so she stole it. The storeowner was talking all types of crap to her face. Karen spit in face. He went ballistic the cops started hauling her off to the car. I don't know why but something snapped in me and I spoke up.

"I asked the guy how much the stuff was. He looked at me like I was crazy and talking some crazy stuff about this and that. 'Just answer the question.' I snapped at him, knowing I was using my daddy voice. He finally told me and I reached in my purse and threw what must have been at least a thousand dollars at his face and told the cops to let her go. They did, surprisingly. When they pulled off, the shop owner started yelling at us at how she was never allowed in his store again and some stuff like that.

"She took me to her house and we talked. Karen's mom is a school teacher and her dad is dead. She's not poor but she got enough money for everybody to be asking for it. She showed me some of her stuff. It was better than some of the stuff I see in some museums. I asked her to paint my car and we've been best friends since. Wally and the twins came after that.

"Wally's parents never cared about him, always beating on him. The twins were trying to escape the feds after their parents got busted for illegal immigration. Roy let them all stay with him. When I found out that my family owned an old garage nobody used, I let them go there. It was the first time I really saw him smile. I mean a real smile…" I trailed off, remembering the look perfectly. It helped me whenever I saw the grim look he constantly got. It was one of my favorite memories.

"Roy…" Robin said his name like it was a bad taste in his mouth. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Why are you being like that?" I asked him. "This jealousy thing is really starting to get on my nerves. It hasn't stopped since we've got up here."

"Maybe cause all you can talk about is Roy." He said in an empty voice.

"Maybe cause Roy is the reason I can do what I love and have people who love me." I said, frustrated. "Without him, I wouldn't even know you. I would've probably been dead!" Leo started walking away from me. I raced in front of him, refusing to let him leave.

"Listen to me," I said a dangerously low voice. "Before there you were even a thought, Roy was the one that protected me. You keep acting like anything happened between us but _nothing_ did. Roy is my best friend. He does all the things my dad never could. Here was there for me and vice versa."

"When has Roy ever needed you? What did you do?" he asked me sharply. I bit my lip, looking down. Robin waited for me to answer. I couldn't. Roy only asked me to keep this one secret from him and I owed him too much to break it.

"I can't tell you." I whispered. He scowled at me and walked around me. I grabbed his arm, pulling him back to me. I crushed my lips to mine. He was still at first but I didn't quit, nipping at his lips, knowing how crazy that makes him. He relaxed and pushed me onto the hood of the car. I switched us so he was leaning on the hood of the car and I was on top. I pulled back from him, looking him straight in the eye.

"You are the only one I've ever with like this. I wasn't even like this with X. It's only you. Roy is my best friend but you are…I can't even describe what you are to me. You're so important to me." I reassured him. I cupped his face, repeating the words he told me too many times.

"Don't walk away from me." Robin looked away from me. I felt tears sting at my eyes as I started to step back. I took five steps away from him when he called me.

"Raven," he said, a soft whisper in the night around us. I looked at him and the air seemed to spark in the space between us. I felt the same heat I've been trying to ignore these last few days rise up again. I took a shaky breath before I looked at him fully. I immediately regretted it. Robin's eyes sparked with an inner fire that always burned inside him, the moonlight softening his features but making him look mature somehow. I resisted reaching out and touching him, knowing what would happen if I did.

Robin started closing the space between us. I stood still, tense, not sure what to do. I bit at my lip trying not to sigh as he touched my arm. I relaxed as he ran his hand up to my neck, tilting my head up to look at him. I felt helpless, wanting to give in but keeping myself from doing so. Robin made the decision as he placed his lips on mine. It was a light touch, not a real kiss, but it was more than enough for me to give in.

I kissed him, trying to rid myself of the heat but only burned hotter. His touch left a burning trail on my lips and my waist. He slipped his hands under my shirt and I buried my face in his neck, moaning in his neck. It felt too good.

He lowered us to the ground, softly, and I arched back into his hands. Robin kissed at my neck. A sigh escaped my lips before I could catch it. Robin smirked against my neck, moving his hands up and down my sides. I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out. I pulled his face form my neck and kissed him fully.

I moved my hands under his shirt, gently clawing at his abs. He made a groan and I thought I would get ripped apart. Robin bit at my skin enticing a something between a sigh and moan from my lips. I clawed at his back, making him groan again. He pulled back, crashing his lips to mine.

His hands moved up my sides, making me tremble under his hand, as he pushed my shirt up. Before I knew, his was off too. I felt the same disconnect from my brain I always felt whenever me and Robin got to this place. It felt like I was a strange combination of drunk and high. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled over me, only my moans and his groans being spoken with our names. No matter how good felt, it wasn't enough. I wanted more. He wanted more. Why should we have more…?

Then I came to a crashing halt. I stopped as Robin continued over me. With the most willpower I ever had to use, I pushed him off me. I took deep breaths in the night, the chill cooling me off slightly. My skin felt on fire, burning under the moonlight. Robin sat up quickly beside me, confused. I felt a blush come up to my face, embarrassed at my reaction.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. He slumped on the ground, knowing what I meant. He sighed as he handed me my shirt and put on his. "I…I'm just…" Robin sighed beside me, looking down at the ground. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm not gonna act like it's not frustrating." He said in a quiet voice. "I am a guy."

"I'm just not ready." I told him quietly. We were quiet for a while, neither of us looking at each other. I was about to give up and just let him, when I felt him put his jacket around my shoulders. I looked at him. He gave me a small smile before kissing my cheek.

"I'm not gonna leave you." He reassured me. I bit my lip. "I know how much this means to you. If you're not ready then I'm not gonna pressure you to be. If nothing else my mom told me how to treat a lady."  
"I thought she died when you were eight." I said quietly. He shrugged.

"She loved to be prepared." I soft laughed escaped through my lips. We stared at each other before dissolving in laughter. I sighed as it wore off. Robin stroked my cheek softly before kissing me. He jumped up from the ground, holding out his hand.

"Come on, let's go before Roy thinks something did happen and decided to kill me." I giggled as he pulled me up. I kissed his cheek softly.

"I wouldn't let him." I whispered softly. I smiled, reassuring him. Robin sobered, the same wonder that he had for the view filling his eyes once more.

"Promise me one day, you'll tell me." He said, talking about Roy's story. I looked away from him.

"One day, when the time is right," I looked back at him. "I'll tell you everything." He smiled as he put his arms around me, leading me back to the car.

Jinx laughed in delight at another of Royal's jokes. The gang was relaxing all around her, either in the pool or on the grill. None of them could sleep form the excitement they had from the races. They were night owls away and Jinx wanted to keep it that way. Much easier to cause trouble in the dark.

Royal tightened his hold on her waist. She looked at him quickly and he nodded to the house. She nodded, standing up and started to walk to the house. Royal held on her waist as he guided her to the small private study inside. He closed the door and it was silent. Jinx sat on the desk before speaking.

"Tomorrow." She told him, "Vic will be with Robin, so I'm sending Kori as backup." Royal nodded. He looked around the study before sighing.

"Why do I feel like this is the end?" Jinx jumped off the desk before standing behind him.

"Hey," she said. He turned to her. He frowned at the fear that was in her eyes. "Don't do that. Everything will go good tomorrow. After that, we'll go back to Gotham. Then we'll finish high school, get married, and live our life away from this." Royal wrapped his arms around her, wanting to believe her but finding that he couldn't. No matter how much he loved Jinx, sometimes it was hard to trust her.

"I want to believe you," he told her. Jinx looked down, ashamed that she had to risk him like this. She looked up at her protector with sad eyes. She reached up, touching his face softly. She cupped his face, bringing him down to her.

"I love you," She told him. "I don't say it enough but I do. Always." Royal kissed her softly. Jinx kissed back eagerly. Royal pulled away with a smile. He lifted the necklace around her neck, holding the ring in his hand.

"And I'm sure you know how I feel already," Jinx nodded waiting to hear the words she never wanted to stop hearing. "But I love you too. Always."

Jinx wrapped her arms around him. She wished she could keep him there forever and that he was wrong. _Terra better be right about this_, she thought, _or she's dead_.

It was a quiet ride back to the garage. I was still deciding where Robin should sleep (Roy's room or the twins) when I saw something poking out from under the seat. I pulled it out and noticed it was a picture. It was the picture I took from Jinx's office.

"What's that?" Robin asked.

"It's this picture of Jinx. I'm not sure why I took it but I can't help but think it's important." I explain to him. He leaned over a bit, looking between it and the road. His eyes widened at the picture.

"Oh my god," Robin said, "That's Terra." I looked back at the picture and sure enough, Robin was right. The girl Jinx was hugging was Terra.

"Didn't know they use to be friend…" I mumbled, looking closely at the edge of the picture where the birthday cake was. Happy Birthday…

"Hey," I called to Robin. He turned slightly to me. "Does Terra have any siblings?"

"She mentioned a sister once but she moved away with Terra's dad."

"When is her birthday?"

"March 15th. Why?" My eyes widened at the statement.

"That's Jinx's birthday." I looked back at the picture. "And I think Jinx is the sister Terra is talking about." I told him, pointing to the birthday cake at the edge of the picture, exclaiming Happy Birthday Twins.

"What?" Victor exclaimed. "There's no way? Twins?"

"It's true. There's no way it can't be."

Victor shook his head as she walked beside Robin through the streets of the town near the garage. It wasn't the nicest place and definitely not a place you want to be at night. It seemed a world away from the Cliffside Raven showed him…Victor watched as Robin started to drift off into his own world again.

"Wow. So you meet her crew, almost got laid, _and_ find out Terra and Jinx is twins in one night?" he shook his head. "I miss everything." Robin shoved him and Victor started laughing at his friend's blush.

"Shut up, Vic." Robin grumbled. Vic shrugged.

"Just pointing out the facts." Vic said. "It actually kind of weird. You're never this calm when they don't give it up. You're usually moody and so fun to irritate."

"I keep telling you, she's different." Robin's eyes glazed over. "I think…I _know_ I love her, man." Vic stared at his cousin. Usually, he didn't believe his cousin. Robin always was in love with love. He's been like that since his mom died, always chasing after it. But this time…Vic shook his head as a slow smile broke out on his face.

"I'm happy for you, man. I hope it works out for you. You deserve it." Vic said genuinely.

"I thought you hated each other." Robin teased. Vic pushed his shoulder, making his stumble to the said before her regained his balance.

"It's a mutual dislike." They laughed wholeheartedly as they continued to walk. As the laughter wore off, a disturbing thought came to Victor's mind.

"If Terra is that cruel to her own twins…" Vic trailed off. Robin looked down, knowing exactly what Vic would have said. If Terra was that cruel to her twin, how cruel would she be if she ever found out about him and Raven?

"I don't know." Robin answered. Vic rubbed his neck uneasily. He only did that when he was nervous.

"I mean, I only see two possibilities. Either they hate each other or they still love each other like sisters." Both knew which one was scarier. Vic stood up straighter as he saw two people walking his way. "And here comes trouble."

Robin looked up. Kori and another Northsider were walking towards them. Robin got a little nervous. He didn't bring his gun. He didn't think he would need it. Kori looked at him as if he was a ghost. Robin felt the same way. It was hard to believe the girl walking next a Northside thug was the same sweet-faced girl he met years ago on the playground.

Kori and the guy, Royal, Robin remembered slowed as they started to past. Royal had his classic scowl on and it unnerved Robin and Victor. They slowed as well, but never stopped. The tension built as they crossed path. Robin's shoulder clipped Royal's. Royal paused. Robin paused as well. Victor and Kori stood behind them.

"Watch where you're going next time." Royal sneered. Leo glared at him.

"It ain't me who needs to that big boy." Robin said heatedly. "I'm not gonna be the one to regret next time. But I'll let you slid this time since you didn't know."

"Whoa, Robin," Victor said in a warning tone, "Don't be stupid."

"You might want to listen to you little friend over there." Victor didn't respond. "Stay out of my way Southside punk."

"You better watch who you talking to." Vic retorted. Royal raised his eyebrow, silently challenging him. Vic pulled a silver gun out his jacket handing it to Robin. Robin looked at his friend wide eyed. Vic never gave Robin his gun. Robin never wanted it. Robin shook his head, turning back to Royal. He dropped the gun.

"I ain't doing this with ya'll." Robin said. Royal chuckled a bit before throwing the first punch.

"Too late." Victor didn't think twice before throwing himself at Royal. Robin was off the ground a second later watching as Victor defended him. He saw how heavy it was getting and tried to get Victor off Royal. They exploded into a brawl. Robin continued to try to break up the fight. Victor fought against him, still hitting Royal. Royal stumbled to the ground when Robin finally got a hold of Victor.

"Vic!" he yelled. "Enough!" He grabbed Victor's face, making him look at him. "Enough." Victor calmed down at the sight of a trusting face. He took deep breaths before. They didn't look at Kori, who sat back and watched the fight. They didn't look behind them to Royal, who was bloody and breathless. Kori did, though. And she saw how he got his gun out and pointed it towards Victor.

"Royal, no!"

BANG!

Everything froze.

A second later, Robin felt a heavy weight fall on his. He caught it with his arms and looked down. Victor was coughing up blood, staining his shirt. Robin looked at Victor's back and saw a growing circle of blood. He looked at Kori who stood froze at the scene. He finally saw Royal, who was scowling as he turned to get up, his gun still out. Victor's breath grew shallow.

"Vic?" he asked disoriented. He shook his friend, getting little response. "Vic, no. No!"

"Robin …" Victor breathed heavily. "Robin …"

"Calm down, man," Robin yelled, looking around helpless. Kori started dialing 911. "We'll get you some help."

"I'm not…I can't…"

"Just hang in there." Robin told him. But a dark reality started to set in as Victor's chest started to slow with his breath. "Vic, come on. Hang in there!" He didn't notice anything except his dying friend in his arms. Victor tried to breath only to fail.

"They killed me." Victor said in a weak voice. "They got me."

"God damn it, Vic. Don't say that." Something knew it was too late to save Victor but Robin didn't want to believe him. "You can't leave me."

"They'll pay for this." Victor said. He met Robin's eyes. "You'll pay for this. We all will…" Robin watched as Victor took one final breath before his chest still. Victor's eyes grew cold and vacant. Robin's chest clenched as he shook Victor.

"Vic. Don't do this. Wake up. You have to wake up-" Robin choked on a sob as the truth hit him. Tears streamed as he held his dead best friend in his arms. He looked up to where Royal was. He could see Royal running down the street away from him. Rage gathered inside him, making him numb as he grabbed the gun lying near Victor. He stood up slowly; shirt soaked in blood and grabbed it. He started to chase after Royal. He watched as Royal ran swiftly through alleys and deserted streets. It didn't matter. Robin was faster than him and caught up to him in a matter of minutes. When Royal hit a dead end, he turned around to Robin.

Royal didn't show fear as he saw Robin raise the gun.

"You killed him." Robin stated calmly. Royal narrowed his eyes, not denying. "You killed him!" Robin repeated, pulling back the safety. Royal looked in the eye as he spoke. There was no fear in his eyes as he did, giving Robin the answer he dreaded and the truth he couldn't ever deny again.

"Yes." Royal answered. Robin pulled the trigger once the word was out, watching Royal's body crumble to the ground later on. He lowered the gun, reality coming back to him. More tears escaped his eyes. His best friend was dead. Victor was dead. He wasn't coming back. And he just killed his killer. Robin heard a gasp behind him.

He turned and saw Kori at the mouth of the alley. She had her hand cupped over her mouth, holding back a scream. She looked at her old friend in horror. Robin looked between the gun, Royal, and Kori. Fear started to settle in. Robin just killed someone. He was a murderer. He looked at Kori in fear. She didn't come near him but spoke, just as scared and confused as him

"I won't tell." She said. Robin sprinted off, needing not to hear anything else.

Jinx arrived at the crime scene two hours later, after hearing a scary voicemail form Kori. When she got to the scene, police cars and an ambulance surrounded the street. If it were any other situation, she would have never come but she had to know. _She wrong_, she tried to convince herself as a knot tightened in her stomach, _Kori has to be wrong._ She watched as the police interviewed random people. They spread the DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE tape around the scene but she stepped under it. She saw Kori sitting on the ground. Kori looked up at her with grief. Jinx felt a false sense of confusion.

"Jinx. I'm so…" Jinx tuned her out as she saw a paramedic rolled covered body towards an ambulance. She scrutinized it, spotting the edge of a jacket she could spot anywhere. She could barely hear Kori's confusion or the police telling her to get back as she walked towards the paramedic. He looked up at her in confusion but she didn't care. She ignored the protests around her as threw off the sheet over the body. She gasped at the face.

She felt her heart starting to break the longer she looked at it. She shook her head as she stepped away from it. There was no way. _That wasn't him. It could possibly be him_. Jinx thought.

"No." she whispered. She sprinted off away from the crime scene. She tried to forget but the image stayed, not able to fade away. Jinx stumbled to the ground, no longer having the strength to run. She felt it all crash over her. Tear streamed down her face rapidly. She couldn't control the strangled sobs that came out of her mouth. She felt sicker than she ever did. Memories of Royal pelted her, torturing her. But now, they had the same dead eyes she couldn't escape. She cried on the street, repeating in vain the same thing over and over again.

_It's not true_, she thought,_ Royal can't be dead. _

As soon as I drove up to the guest house, I entered a world of chaos. Everybody was moving in a million directions. I looked at my phone. There were 7 voicemails and 10 texts. I haven't checked it since last night before the races. I dropped Robin off about three hours so he could met Vic and go with Terra. I went shopping with Karen before coming back. But looking around, I knew I should have answered my phone.

I stepped out my car and looked around. Everybody looked either frantic or grief-stricken. I moved through the crowd. Everybody was packing and carrying their bags. Some people were in a circle crying. I didn't stop to ask what was wrong. I just looked around for someone who looked normal. I was sprinting up the steps when I came face to face with Fox. His face was grime but he looked like he was in better shape than most.

"Fox, what's going on?" I asked. He just shook his head. I blocked his path so he would stop. He looked down on me with pity. I gave him a pleading look. "Tell me." He sighed.

"Should've answered your phone." He mumbled. I swallowed thickly as a sense of dread came over me. "Royal got shot a couple of hours ago. Only Kori was there with him but she couldn't stop it. She said she wasn't sure who. She said it was some Southsider." I felt like I got punched in the gut. Royal got shot? It couldn't be possible. I just saw him last night…

"So where's Jinx?" I asked. Fox shrugged.

"She took off after she went to the crime scene. Nobody's seen her. But she better come back soon. We got head out before the cops show up." He didn't say another word as he bumped pass me. I felt numb as I rushed down the stairs and out the door. I jumped in my car, speeding off. I looked at my text, figuring out where the crime scene was. I drove around it, looking for her. I found her leaning on her car, looking down.

I stopped my car, hurrying over to her.

"Jinx," I called. She looked up slowly. I stopped when I saw her face. Jinx looked terrible. Her face was pale. Her eyes were dead with tears. I knew instantly Royal didn't make it. Jinx wouldn't have let herself look broken if he did. I started to walk over to her slowly. "Jinx, we have to go." I told her softly. She shook her head. I gripped her shoulders.

"We have to go." I said, "The police will start their search soon. We can't be here when they do."

"Is that all you care about?" she asked in a rough voice. She looked at me. Her eyes enraged. "The police showing up? Well I'm sorry if I'm gonna ruin your perfect record." I glared at her.

"You think you're the only one who's had to deal with the police?" I made her look at me. "You're talking to the wrong one, Jinx. You have no idea." Jinx scowled at me.

"You're a billionaire heiress. You never gotten dirty without have everything dry cleaned in your life. You come here as the rich girl but you have no idea-"

"No idea of what?" I yelled. "How it feels to be chased by the cops? How it feels to have LAPD knocking on my door? Having the feds constantly chasing after me? You have no idea how wrong you are. Just because I didn't come out the projects doesn't mean I didn't have a hard life. I know how feels to mourn someone but not even have time to worry because the cops. I've been there!" took a deep breath before continuing. Jinx gave me an empty look. "You many feel bad now, but I promise you'll feel worst when the cops come."

A car rode up beside us. Kori jumped out of it. She was breathless by the time she got to us. She looked even more frantic than the people at the house.

"The police are starting the investigation. We have to get out of here." Kori told us. I looked at Jinx. She gave me an empty glare before standing up and walking to the door of the car. She drove off. Kori and I watched as she did. I looked at Kori. She looked terrified. I put my hands on her shoulders.

"It's okay. The sooner we get out of here, the better. Everything will be fine."

"I could've stopped him." She said barely above a whisper. "I could've stopped him. I didn't know what to do."

"Kori, what are you talking about?" I remembered Fox's words. Kori was there when Royal died. She knows what happened. I moved in front of Kori. She looked away from me covering her mouth. "Kori, what happened?" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She fought against a sob as she spoke.

"Royal was fighting Victor and Robin pulled him off. They started to walk away when Royal pulled out his gun. I could've stopped him. I could've stopped him." Kori tried to pull away from me but I held on to her, making her look at me.

"Royal shot Victor?" I asked. She took a shaky breath before nodding. I felt all the air exit my body, I felt lightheaded but I tried to stay calm as Kori rambled on.

"He killed Victor. Robin picked up his gun. I should've stopped him. Now he's dead. Royal is dead and Jinx gonna kill him when she finds out." Kori's words turned into sobs but I felt confused. I gripped her shoulders. She yelped in pain but it didn't matter. I had to know.

"Who killed Royal?" I asked her, calmly. She held her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. "Who killed him? You have to tell me Kori. Who killed Royal?" Her lips trembled as she moved her hand away. I knew the answer. My mind knew the answer but I had to hear it. It couldn't be true…

"Robin." I dropped my hands from her shoulders as she gave into her sobs fully. I felt my body go numb. It couldn't be true. Kori was delusional. That was it. She was wrong. I didn't believe her. I felt my mind separate from body as I spoke.

"We have to leave now. We should be able to make it back to Gotham in a few hours. We need to go." I didn't look at her as I entered my own car. I didn't look back to see if she followed. I just kept driving.

I was on auto-pilot as I drove out of the state. I drove as long as I could, only stop to sleep or eat. I didn't allow myself to think about what happened. I was in denial. Some part of me knew but I ignored it. It was wrong. Victor wasn't dead. Royal wasn't dead. And Robin didn't kill him. The entire trip was a blur, but somehow my body led me back to Uncle Mike and Aunnie's house. I got out my car and walked. I headed to the backyard, instead of the front door. I walked and walked until I was in our clearing. I sat on the ground waiting.

The sun's final rays were shining against the sky when he came. I turned to him. He had a grim look on his face. I closed my eyes, turning away. I stood up, turning to him. I didn't hear him approach so I opened my eyes. I felt tears stinging at my eyes as the denial started fading away. I didn't let them fall, though. I had to keep it together if I was going to get through this.

"Tell me it's not true." I begged softly. I gave him a pleading, hoping look. He looked down and I bit back a sob. He tried to speak but nothing came out his mouth.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I saw the tears from his face fall to the ground. He collapsed to the ground on his knees. The agonizing pain of cruel realization came over me. Everything I denied, everything I ignored, fell over me as I fell to my knees beside him. I gathered him in my arms; both of us crying over his lose. More tears sprung out my eyes as I held him tighter. How could this have happened? I sighed against his shoulder.

"It's okay," I said, rubbing circles on his back, "It'll be okay."

But I knew better than to believe that. Vic was dead. This was a repeat of his mother's dead only worst. Not to mention Vic's dad would be out for blood. I doubt he'll stop at his son's best friend to get. Royal was dead. Jinx won't hesitate to kill him. And if she killed him…I cried harder on his shoulder. Everything was wrong now. And now I could no longer ignore the truth. There was no way I could. Everybody else could see it. Now it's time I did. Time has run out for me to be blind. The truth is…

I'm in love with a murderer.


	21. Aftermath

_Aftermath_

You know how people say you don't wake up realizing something horrible happened? How they say it takes awhile to remember? That you roll out of your bed, start brushing your teeth, maybe even make your morning coffee before you remember?

They're wrong.

I waited for them to be right. I waited to wake and not remember what happened. I waited to not remember that Vic was dead. I waited to not remember that Royal was dead. I waited especially long not to remember that it was Robin's fault. I waited but it never happened. Just like everything else in my life, the news hit me. Hard. I had nightmares of it all night. Unfortunately, very few nightmares make me wake up. There was no relief for me as I slept through the repeating nightmares all night. They haunted me as I woke up, fully rested and tense.

I looked behind me and saw Robin, finally sleeping. I turned around with my back to his chest. It took me hours to calm him down enough to sleep. It was one of the scariest nights of my life. I closed my eyes to try and block out the memories. But just like my nightmares, they stayed. I fought back a sob, focusing on the feel of Robin's heart on my back. How did this happen? It was just a week ago that Jinx was driving me around in Royal's car telling me about the trip. It was only a couple of days ago Robin was comforting me in his arms. It was only two days ago that Roy met Robin. Only yesterday morning when everything seemed to be okay…

I mechanically slid out of Robin's arms, pulling the cover higher over him. I walked out the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I went to the kitchen, relieved that it was a three day weekend. I poured some coffee mix into the coffee maker. I turned around and jumped when I saw Uncle Mike. He was staring into an empty space with a very distant look on his face. He didn't see me. I walked over to him slowly, placing my hand on his shoulder. He jumped when I did, coming back to the present.

"Oh," he said, "I didn't see you there." He looked down at his coffee. I could tell it was cold. I sat down silently beside him. He had a grim look on his face. I recognized it as his bad news look. I was use to it. I saw it at least once every time I visited but this one scared me more than the others. This one was more distraught. My chest clenched at the sight of it. I waited for him to say whatever it was. There was no way it could be worse than what happened yesterday.

"Rae, I have some bad news." He told me gravely. Strangely, I was comforted by the words. At least some things stayed the same. "It's not easy to tell you this but…I got a call from Mr. Stone." The name sounded familiar but I couldn't exactly place it. I looked at my uncle's tired and sad face. Then I remembered that Mr. Stone was the Chief of Police…Victor's dad.

"What did he say?" I asked quietly. I tensed, knowing what he was about to say. Uncle Mike sighed.

"He told me about a call he got from a police station from California. Vic and his friend were down there for the weekend and got caught up in some gang activity." He looked me in the eye. I was frozen by the pain in them. "I'm sorry to say this Raven, but Vic is gone."

An unexpected wave of pain crashed over me. It was more painful hearing it the second time. I was surprised at the tear that escaped my eye. I wiped it away swiftly, nodding to my uncle.

"I know you two were starting to become close, so I thought you should know." He explained. He covered my hand with his, gripping it tightly. I know the gesture was supposed to comfort me, but it only made it more unbearable. My guilt was slowly overwhelming me. "They're having a funeral next week. We were invited." I swallowed thickly before nodding again.

I pulled my hand away from his, walking back to my room, my coffee forgotten. I closed the door behind me, refusing to look behind me. I instantly noticed a draft from outside. I looked and was met with an empty room and open window. Robin was gone. I felt strangely empty as I sat on my bed; my key necklace was on my cover. I picked it up but didn't put it on. I was glad that Robin was gone, so he couldn't witness the shame I felt as I put it in my drawer, hiding it away.

* * *

Robin dreaded going up the stairs to his house. He knew he was too tired to run from his mentor but a part of him wished he could sprint away from this place. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. Robin never felt so full yet empty. His emotions tormented him on the inside but refused to surface fully. He felt dizzy and nauseous as he walked into the foyer. It was quiet, undisturbed. Robin waited for some type of chaos, only to remember that the entire world wasn't unraveling. Only his was. He trudged up the stairs to his room slowly, exhaustion coming over him. Not even Raven's house could give him some peace.

He woke up shortly after she left the room. He was immediately plagued with visions of the nightmare he was in yesterday. He could hear her uncle talking to her and he leaned against the door to hear what he was saying.

"He told me about a call he got from a police station from California. Vic and his friend were down there for the weekend and got caught up in some gang activity…I'm sorry to say this Raven, but Vic is gone." Robin sprint out the room as soon as he heard the words.

Robin shook his head to try and rid himself of the words as his steps echoed inside the house. He walked to his room and saw his guardian sitting on the edge of his bed. Bruce Wayne was staring at his hands as he entered. His head snapped up and Robin saw relief and despair. Robin knew he didn't have to explain anything. He already knew, catching him in one of his few hiding places.

"What happened?" Bruce asked calmly. Robin, despite how intimidating his mentor could be, was rarely scared by him. This wasn't one of those moments. Robin knew better than to believe Bruce's calm façade. He could almost feel the emotions his father held back that hummed right beneath the surface. Robin was terrified.

"It was an accident." Robin whispered. Bruce shook his head, looking away from him.

"That's not what I asked." Bruce asked with frustration. Robin didn't know why but his exhaustion was gone and replaced with adrenaline as he raced out his room. Bruce followed him quickly. Robin stumbled down the steps as Bruce caught the back of his shirt. Bruce couldn't understand the frantic look in Robin's eyes. Robin's moves were desperate. Bruce turned Robin to him, trying to make him stop. Robin didn't stop fighting him. Bruce gripped his arms, forcing Robin to look at him. Robin struggled in his grip. He forgot how strong Bruce really was. "Richard, calm down!"

"Let me go!" Robin could feel tears of desperation starting to fill his eyes. Even now, Robin could still feel the weight of Vic in his arms, the smell of the blood that poured onto his fingers, slowing taking away his best friend's life.

"Just tell me what happened!" Bruce demanded. He could feel Robin's struggles weakening. Bruce let him go gently. Robin ripped out of his grasp, holding the back of the couch for support. The last twenty-four hours rushed back to him in a blur. He took a deep breath, wishing everything he would say was a lie.

"We were walking along a street to meet up with our friends. Two gang members were walking the opposite way. One bumped into me. They were trying to start something with us. Me and Vic…were just trying to get back to our friends. I told one of them that I wasn't doing this with them." Robin's voice shook. "They punched me and Vic jumped at them. I tried to pull them apart. I got Vic off him, told him it wasn't worth it. We were walking away when-" Robin broke off. He couldn't say it. He only turned to his guardian. Bruce nodded in understanding. He sighed helplessly. He knew what it must have felt like for Robin. He experienced a death of a friend when he was in high school, as well. He hoped and prayed Robin would never feel the same.

"It's okay." Bruce said, moving to his side. Bruce placed a reassuring hand on Robin's shoulder. "Victor's dad will do whatever he can do to find his… you know." Robin shook his head as Bruce released his grip. Bruce was walking upstairs to his own room.

"They won't have to." Robin said. Bruce paused, turning back to Robin. Robin refused to look at him, fearing the worst.

"What do you mean 'they won't have to'?" Bruce asked him. Robin closed his eyes and turned to him. When they opened, a blank and unforgiving look appeared.

"What do you think?" Robin told him softly. Bruce was confused. He didn't understand what Robin meant. The only way that could even be possible is if…Bruce felt all the air rush out his body. He gripped the stair railing to steady himself. No. Robin couldn't…he wouldn't. But as Bruce stared at him, he knew it was true. Bruce selfishly wished that Robin would've lied to him. Anything but know the truth. He looked at Robin's eyes, exactly like his mothers. He stepped down from the stairs and walked past Robin, not seeing anything.

"Bruce?" Robin called feebly. Bruce didn't pause as he walked to the door. "Bruce!" Bruce didn't show any sign of even hearing him. Robin collapsed on the floor as he watched his guardian walk out the door without even turning his head. The sound the closing door made as Bruce left echoed in Robin's mind, as he watched one of his worst fears happen.

He always dreaded the day Bruce would walk away from him.

His tears from last night came back full force. He was a killer. And one of the people he was afraid of leaving him just walked out. Robin wished he could hate him. He wished he could be angry enough to want to hate him. But he couldn't. Bruce was the one who took him in and cared for him during his darkest time. Robin loved Bruce too much to hate him. He only hated himself.

"Master Richard," called a soft voice somewhere in from of him. Robin looked up with a tear-stained face at Alfred. Alfred looked at him with an empathic look. He held his hand out to Robin. Robin took and was surprised at the strength the old man had as he pulled him up. Alfred wrapped his arm around Robin's shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up." He said acting as if nothing happened. Robin was grateful but couldn't get rid of the self-hate at the pit of his stomach.

* * *

I had to get out the house. No matter how normal everything seemed, there was the undercurrent of grief that no one could quite hide. I walked into the mild afternoon. They sky was gray as if in mourning. I paused at my car about to open the door only to drop the keys in front seat. Stupid, yes. But I wanted to make sure I didn't change my mind about not driving. I wasn't sure why I did. I just couldn't stand the thought of sitting down in one spot. I was too restless to drive.

So I walked onto the sidewalk, taking a familiar route. I remembered walking down this way all the time when I first got here. I was always gritting my teeth as I towed my heavy gym bag, wishing I had my car. My arms would hurt and my legs would be burning despite the cool evening around me. Now it was warmer and everything seemed distance in April. I looked up at the green leaves. Everything seemed to be blooming and dying at the same time. I sighed as my throat thickened at the sight of the gym. I refused to stop as I walked up to the door and entered.

I slowed to a stop a couple of steps away from the door. The entire gym was empty. The silence rang off the walls. I swallowed as I entered. My steps echoed through the place. I stepped up to the punching bag. I did a couple of quick punches before watching it swing back and forth in front of me. I waited for Victor to tell me what I was doing or to hold the bag or something. Anything.

But all that greeted me was the silence. I didn't notice the tears until I saw fall one to the ground. It was amazing how I didn't realize how much of a friend Victor was until he was gone. I covered my mouth with my hand as I muffled another sob. I froze when I heard the back door open.

I was immediately alert, knowing no one entered through the back door. I looked around for something to use as a weapon. There was nothing light enough and I forgot bring my knife. I cursed silently. I'll have to settle for my hands. I moved silently to the side against the wall, out of sight. The person steps were light. They made very little noise as they came in. I peeked around the corner and fought a gasp. I narrowed my eyes at the girl before walking out from my hiding place.

"What are you doing here?" I asked sharply. My voice echoed it the silent gym. Terra jumped at my voice. She set a hand over her heart, which I'm sure was racing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think the place was open." She said in a soft voice. It was weird for me to hear it. I always imagine her voice would be sharper. Instead it was kind of rough but I could hear the similarity between her voice and Jinx's.

"And you thought sneaking in through the back would be any better?" I said while glaring at her. She put her hands up defensively.

"I didn't come here for trouble." I stared at her confused. Didn't she recognize me? Surely, she knew that I was Northside. She came here for something. But as I watched her, I could tell she didn't recognize me. She didn't know anything about me. It was like a two-way mirror. I knew all about her but I was a complete stranger to her. I was relieved by this fact. But why _is_ she here?

"Then why are you here?" Terra looked away from me, her shoulders slumping.

"I…I don't know." She said barely above a whisper. I stayed silent as I looked at her. Her face was twisted into a painful expression. It was one of…guilt? I stepped closer to her. Terra had a stance of defeat. I don't know what came over me but for some reason I tossed her a pair of gloves. She caught with a startled look. I nodded over to the punching bag.

"It helps." I told her. She nodded, walking over to it. She started punching the bag. I didn't try to correct her form, knowing it didn't matter. Neither of us spoke to each other. I watched her as she continued to hit the bag with more a more anger. I wondered what she felt guilty about. "Why do you feel guilty?" I asked her.

Terra paused at the question. She was silent as she slowly went back to hitting the bag. I held back a sigh. Should've known she wouldn't talk. I stood up, about to leave, when I heard her stop. I turned back to her. She wasn't looking at me but I could tell that she was no longer focusing on the bag.

"It's my fault." She said quietly. I took a step back towards her. She didn't move.

"It's my fault and now she'll hate me again." Terra turned to me. "I don't know how to fix it." I tried to make sense of what she was saying but wasn't sure what or who she was talking about. I sighed. I shrugged.

"I don't know what to tell you." I told her. She looked down helplessly. "Maybe you should try facing her." I made to turn and walk away when she spoke.

"Do I know you?" she asked. I froze. "You looked familiar." I looked at her over my shoulder at her.

"No." I told her. I didn't look back as I left.

* * *

Jinx sat at the very back of the club, Spin. She watched the dance floor, watching the blissfully ignorant couples dance together happily. She narrowed her eyes at them. She hated them all. She everyone who could smile and laugh when Royal could never do that again. And it was her sister's fault.

She took another sip from the drink she ordered. She pressed the cool glass to her head. Another pair of tears slid down her face. Her face has been tear-stained for the entire day. She didn't bother to wipe them. Why should she? Everybody should see and witness her pain.

She continued to watch the crowd as she saw a form working its way to her. She looked up out of dull curiosity, setting her glass on the table in front of her. The form parted from the crowd and stared down at her. Jinx looked in the person's eyes and felt a slow rage simmer in the pit of her stomach. Terra should have known better than to look for her. Terra didn't say anything as she sat next to her sister.

"I am so sorry, Jinx." She said quietly. Jinx gave her a cynical and hateful smile. Terra frowned at it, feeling her heart race. She looked at the table and saw Jinx's glass. It was nothing but vodka with a curled lemon peel at the bottom. Jinx was never up to anything good when she drank alcohol.

"Why be sorry?" Jinx said calling Terra's attention back to her. Jinx picked up her drink. "It's not like it's your fault." Jinx moved the drink to her mouth but paused before she took a sip. She looked back at Terra and smiled with an edge. "Oh wait. It is, isn't?" Terra didn't say anything as Jinx down her drink quickly. Jinx shook her head.

"A shame, really," she said, "I really thought I could trust you this time." Before Terra could say anything, Jinx called for a waitress. The waitress approached her warily. Jinx sent her a malicious smile. "My friend wants a drink. Mind bringing us a bottle? Vodka." The waitress nodded, walking away before Jinx could say anything else to her. Terra watched as her sister leaned back. She shook her head.

"Jinx, stop," she told her. Jinx raised an eyebrow at her. "You're drunk. I'll take you home." Terra grabbed Jinx's arm. Jinx pulled out her grasp before pointing her finger in Terra's face.

"You are the last person who should be talking about being drunk." The waitress set down the bottle of vodka on the table silently. Jinx grabbed it. "Let's recall the times I had to stop you from doing something stupid because you were drunk or holding your hair back when you threw up. Not to mention all the crap I put up with because I did all of that for you. Because unlike you, I cared." Jinx shrugged as she cracked open the seal. Terra watched silently. "But that was always my problem. I always trusted you. And I'm the one who would always get burned in the end." Jinx smiled at her. Terra's stomach twisted at the cruelty in it. "But not this time."

Terra looked at her confused. Jinx started to pour vodka all around them and on the dance floor as well. She threw the bottle in the middle of the crowd. The crowd gasped and murmured. Jinx took out her lighter. Terra's eyes widened at she saw Jinx flick it open. Jinx sighed at the small flame it produced.

"To Royal," Jinx turned to her sister. Terra stood frozen by her gaze. "And you, Terra." Jinx dropped the flame and the club burst into an inferno. Terra screamed in fear as she was so surrounded by it. She could vaguely see Jinx walking out the club. Terra coughed as smoke entered her lungs. She looked around her at the chaos.

_How am I gonna get out?_ She thought. She could see no exits. She was trapped.

* * *

Bruce Wayne stared at the sunset as it reflected of the city. Bruce stood at the top of the highest building in the city. This is where Alfred found Bruce. Bruce knew Alfred was standing behind him with both a concerned and disapproving look. He sighed, not looking away from the view.

He could remember every time Ava insisted on bring them there for a sunrise picnic when she would visit him. She would wake both him and Robin up extra early and have Alfred help her prepare breakfast. They would then ride here as the sky started to turn from black to a dark blue. Ava always made sure they came just in time for them to see everything as the sky burst into colors. He closed his eyes, savoring the memory. He shook his head. How could the same little kid that was amazed by the sunset on top of the city be the same one that…he couldn't finish the thought. It was too painful to think about it.

"Master Bruce," Alfred called quietly. Bruce didn't respond. "Bruce." Alfred said in a stern voice.

"Not now, Alfred." Bruce said. He tried to speak but couldn't think of the right thing to say. He shook his head, staying silent.

"Yes, now, Master Bruce. You can try but there is nowhere to run." Alfred said in a tone so firm, it made Bruce pause. Bruce turned to him so he had his undivided attention. Alfred relaxed a bit before speaking once again. "How could you walk out like that?"

Bruce turned away from Alfred. Alfred waited patiently. They were in a deadlock silence as the sun continued to set. Bruce watched the fading sun.

"How did this happen?" Bruce asked quietly. "How could that innocent, little boy grow up and become…" he couldn't finish it. Tears pricked at Bruce's eyes at the pain that rush through him, making him lose his breath. Alfred stepped closer. Bruce didn't notice through his confusion. "I failed him." Bruce admitted, hanging his head in shame. Alfred gripped Bruce's shoulder tightly. Bruce refused to look at him.

"Master Bruce, you cannot blame yourself for Richard's mistakes-" Bruce cut him off with a sharp look.

"I was stupid and careless with him!" Bruce exclaimed. He moved out Alfred's grasp as he paced back and forth. "I should have spent more time with him. I should've trained with him more, been more stern. I should've been there for him instead of trying to make him move on. How could I fail her son like that? I promised her and now…" Bruce stopped, once again at a loss for words. He looked at the indigo sky. He looked back towards the sunset where only a sliver was visible.

"Sir," Alfred called softly. Bruce reluctantly turned to him. Alfred gave him an ancient look of grief. "I'll admit I don't know what to say to comfort you. All I can tell you is that you burden yourself unnecessarily. While we all were grieved by Ava's lose, we had to move on. You can't blame yourself for everything mistake he makes. Master Richard was overcome with grief and acted irrationally. Yes, you should have taught him better. And while that was a mistake on your part, no one was prepared for this situation.

"But right now, you are making the biggest mistake you could make as a father. Despite Richard's mistake, he needs you now more than ever…he's already lost his mother. He doesn't need you to abandon him too." Alfred moved towards the stairs to leave.

"You say this as if I'm his father." Bruce stated. Alfred turned back to him with a ghost of a smile.

"With all you've done and how you and Miss Ava felt for each other, do you still doubt that you deserve that title?"

Alfred left silently. Bruce closed his eyes and sighed. He stayed at the ledge, watching the last sliver of the sun slip over the horizon. He still didn't move as darkness soon fell over him, cloaking him like a blanket.

* * *

Terra climbed up the fire escape, struggling with each step to breathe. She still was dizzy and weak from her escape from the burning club, smoke caught in her throat. Several burns dotted her arms and legs, each searing with pain with each step she took. She lifted herself up until she saw her. Jinx sat on the step, smoking as usual. She looked at Terra expectantly. Terra gritted her teeth as she stood up slowly; her clothes tattered with a wild look. Jinx gave her a cold smirk. She flexed her arms a bit. Terra saw the scar where she accidentally shot her and couldn't help the guilt she felt.

"Look who came back from hell." Jinx said. Terra narrowed her eyes at her.

"Look who was about to send me there." She said in a hoarse voice. She didn't care. "Why did you do that? It's as if you didn't care if I died!" Jinx started laughing at her. Terra looked at her confused. She couldn't help the fear that grew as she watched her sister. Jinx sighed ending her laughter.

"You act like I should." Jinx told her, with a hint of amusement. Terra looked at her in disbelief. Did she really just say that? Jinx stood taking a drag. She blew it into Terra's face. Terra started to cough, waving her hand to fan out the smoke when Jinx grabbed her throat. Jinx tightened her grip. Terra was in shock as Jinx started to choke her. Jinx brought Terra closer to her face. "I trusted you. I trusted you when you said it would be harmless and quick. That he wouldn't get harmed. And once again, you let me down. I bet you even set this whole thing up just so you can weaken me like I weakened you." Terra couldn't speak as Jinx shook her slightly. Terra started getting dizzy with lack of oxygen. The edges of her vision started to turn black. Jinx sneered at her, before throwing her down. Terra slammed into the steel platform, sending pain through body once again. She took deep breaths as she lay on the floor gasping in pain.

"And now he's dead!" Jinx yelled. Terra looked around frantically, knowing this was getting dangerous and quick. Who knew what stunt Jinx would try to pull right now?

"Jinx, please, calm down-"

"Calm down? Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Jinx looked around at the quiet neighborhood. "What you afraid someone will hear me?" Terra struggled to get up but her arms were weak. Jinx once again smiled. Terra didn't hide the fear she felt as Jinx grabbed her.

"I think yours will wake them up before mine." Jinx said. Terra couldn't understand what Jinx meant, until she dragged her over to the ledge. _Jinx lives on the 7__th__ floor_, Terra thought as Jinx grabbed her neck again and leaned her over the ledge. Terra grabbed Jinx's arm tightly as she felt her grip start to loosen.

"Jinx, don't do this!" Terra begged.

"You killed him!" Jinx yelled. She pushed Terra farther over. Terra's grip tightened. "You don't deserve mercy." Terra let out a small cry as she looked down.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean for him to die. It just-" Terra was cut off by Jinx's burning gaze.

"It just, what? Happened?" Jinx continued to yell. "What a cop out." She started to pry Terra's fingers off her arm.

"JINX PLEASE!" Terra screamed tears falling down her face. "PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!"

"I HATE YOU!" Jinx screamed. Terra looked in her eyes and saw the blankness in them. She wasn't lying. Jinx pulled the last of Terra's fingers off her arm. Terra scrambled for something to grab but only teetered on the edge. She was about to let out another scream when she felt someone grab her and pull her off the edge. She felt herself slam down on the floor. It was one of the worst pains she ever felt but she was grateful for it, knowing she was closer to a worst one.

She looked up and saw Jinx standing over her. She had tears slowly trailing down her face once again. Jinx took out her knife. Before Terra could protest, Jinx slashed her arm. Terra covered her mouth to muffle the cry she let out.

"Blood for blood," Jinx said emotionless, "You still owe me." Terra didn't respond as she dragged herself into a sitting position across from Jinx. Jinx looked past her into the night. Neither lingered on what just happened, the only evidence of it was the new scar that was forming on Terra's arm. That was their relationship. They hurt each other, almost killing them, before moving on, leaving only a scar behind.


	22. Hard Times

_Hard Times_

It took a week. The first day was the worst. I could barely look at him without thinking about what happened. Every kiss held enough guilt to drown me. And it weighed down on us the two days after. Day four was slightly less hard. I could look at him but every time I held his hand, I kept thinking of how it pulled the trigger and killed Royal. He stayed the night as usual but I didn't even try to sleep as his arms wrapped around me. Day five he left early after he couldn't sleep. I let him. Day six…I stand corrected.

Day six was the hardest.

It was almost the same as the others before the…incident. Since it was getting warmer, we started going back to our clearing. He met me at the end of the sunset. We spoke softly, trying our best to not talk or think about what happened. Unlike the other nights, his eyes held the smallest amount of light in them. We talked about things we wouldn't remember by the end of the night. I stroked my neck, only to remember that my key necklace was locked in the drawer by my bed, as it had been for the last five days. I brought my hand down, trying to be as subtle as possible. It was in vain. Robin noticed right away.

"Where's your necklace?" he asked me in the same blank tone he's had all week. I shrugged, looking down, before looking him in the eye.

"Jinx has been so paranoid about Royal, I couldn't risk wearing it." I told him without breaking eye contact. If he knew me well enough, he would know I was lying. His eyes dimmed until they became beautiful, steely blue, empty voids as he nodded.

He didn't believe me.

"Hmm," he said, "Can't let that happen."

"No, we can't." I responded. He didn't even try to talk after that. He simply sat there for a few minutes, playing with my fingers. Then he stood and left. I sat out there until it became too cold. I went back to my room and got maybe an hour or two of sleep.

Day seven: he didn't come at all.

* * *

"I'm so sorry about your friend." My mom told me through the phone. I sighed before shrugging.

"It happened. I think Uncle Mike is taking it a lot harder than I am. He knew Victor longer than I did." I told her.

"Still, it must hurt you, even if it's less than someone else's." She said. _You have no idea_, I thought as I blinked back another tear. I looked down at my feet hanging off the floor as I sat on the counter in the kitchen. The others were gone to dinner. For once, I stayed in the house alone. Uncle Mike told my mom about Vic this morning. She called around dinner time. Strangely, I was glad to hear from her. It felt nice to be able to really talk to her without an audience. I didn't feel so alone. "I hear you're going to the funeral this weekend."

"Unfortunately, yes." I said, hearing my voice go flat. I dreaded the thought of going to the funeral Saturday. I wasn't sure how to feel about it and that worried me. We were both silent for a moment, only our breathing be heard. "Did you ever have to go through this?" I asked finally. She made a quiet noise before answering.

"Quite a few times in high school. Sometimes a good friend, other times acquaintances…one time a best friend. It was very rough, growing up."

"How did you make it through?" I asked her dully but curious nonetheless.

"Your father," I could hear the slight smile in her voice. She really did love him. I bite back a smart reply about him. I didn't want to fight with her and honestly I was too tired to really insult him at the moment.

"I forgot you guys knew each other in high school." I said instead.

"It was a long time ago…but if you don't want to talk about him then we don't have to-"

"What was he like when he was younger?" I asked her. I would rather hear about her and dad then talk about Vic. She was quiet as she thought about my question. I listened to her breathing as I waited for her answer.

"He was energetic and rebellious when I first met him. Stubborn, too. However, as I got to know him, he turned out to actually be shy…and innocent, in a sense."

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?" she asked confused.

"Everything." I said. She let out a breath of relief and I could picture her smiling. I haven't asked her about this since I was kid.

"It all started during the summer before my ninth grade year." She started, "I was at the library when I first saw him. He was sitting by the window at a desk that was near the row of books that I was looking through. I remember thinking he was one of the cutest guys I've ever seen. He looked up at me and smiled a little. I returned it not thinking much of it. I thought about him when I went home but I thought that was the last time I saw and that saddened me. Imagine how happy I was when I saw him the next time I went, sitting in the same spot.

"We continued in that same routine for weeks, just smiling every time we saw each other. It wasn't until the day before the 4th of July that we actually talked to each other. 'What are you looking for?' he asked me. I blushed, looking down like the shy girl I was at the time. At least around him.

"'I'm looking for something on dreams.' I told him. He nodded and suggested a book on that very shelf. I thanked him. I looked down at his stuff. It was a bunch of books on architecture and foreign conspiracies. I told him about some books I found on the other side of library. 'Maybe you can show me sometime.' He said.

"'Or we could get some ice cream tomorrow and talk about it.' I told him, blushing like crazy. I still can't believe I said that but I was extremely happy that I did when he said yes. The next day we went on our first date. It was my best first date actually. We played at the park where most of the picnics were being held, eating our ice cream and random junk food. I remember being dazzled by the fireworks right before he kissed me…"

"How romantic," I commented, thinking of my first kiss with Robin. I held back a sigh as I remembered the sparks of it. I held back a sigh as I moved to the kitchen table for the rest of the story.

"It was, wasn't it?" She said. I pictured my mom as a teenager, twirling her hair as if she telling this all to her best friend. I chuckled a bit under my breath at the thought. "Anyway, we dated for the rest of the summer. When it was time to go back to school, I figured out not only did he go to my school, but was also a junior. This caused some difficulties but they were small and stayed small. 6 months into our relationship he told me he loved me. And I told him I loved him, too. I soon met his parents who weren't exactly fond of me at first but did seem to like me a bit. We dated up until he left for college and we decided that it would be better if we parted.

"I hated the idea but knew it was for the best. I was still young and in high school. He was trying to do the college thing. We talked occasionally, especially when my best friend died. He even visited to comfort me…but after a while, we lost touch. I dated a few more guys during my junior and senior year and got accepted into USC. I went; glad to get away from Gotham for the first time in a long time. I was half way through my first semester of my second year when I saw him again. By then, your father became a distant memory that I only dreamed about. I forgot that he was even at the school until I saw him on campus one day when I was going to class.

"It started out as any other meeting between distant first loves would be. Awkward with a strange longing that neither of us was really used to having. We started talking about what had happened since we last talked. He was majoring in business and I told him about how I was majoring in writing for magazines and what not. He then told me how much he missed me. And I told him about my boyfriend."

"Whoa," I said, not expecting that. It was hard to imagine my mom being that bold with my dad.

"Yep." She said. "His name was Howard and your dad _hated_ him. But I thought he was charming. Either way your dad dealt with it and I happy he did. With much reluctance, your dad and I became friends. It was uneasy for the most part but, although I didn't admit it at the time, I would have rather had a part of him than nothing at all. A few months later, Howard took me out to dinner and invited all our friends and our parents, your dad included. He proposed to me right after dessert. I remember feeling ecstatic, unable to stop smiling…until I saw Trent's face." She said, pain filling the last parts of her story. My mom paused for a while as I took everything in.

"After that, we stopped talking. At first, it didn't faze me much. I was getting married. Wasn't it time for me to move on from my first love, anyway? But as the days passed, it was getting harder and harder to forget him. I began to not only miss him but long for him. I longed for him more than anyone else in my life, even my fiancé. And this confused me.

"I took a walk by myself one night to clear my head and I remember seeing him in a café across the street. Every emotion that could have possibly assaulted me at that moment did. Shock, love, longing, hope…it all crashed down on me. A smile started to spread across my face. I was about to cross when I saw that he was with someone. The smile slipped off my face as I saw another girl. I watched them as the laughed and talked. Then she leaned over and kissed him. And he kissed her back. I felt as if I got slapped and punched in the face at the same time. Tears never came so quickly to my eyes. When he pulled away, he looked over at me. I looked at him, pained at what I just saw. He just looked at me for a long moment, his eyes flickering down to my finger. I looked down, catching the sight of my engagement ring. I forgot that I was wearing it. I looked back at him, as if I could explain but I knew it was too late. He turned back to his date and I walked away.

"A few weeks later, we ran into each other again. This time our meeting was full of tension. We said a few clichés before he asked me about Howard, figuring we were married by then. I told him that he was fine. I walked away from him after that. I went to my dorm and cried until I couldn't anymore. After I drained myself, I didn't feel like staying in my room, despite it being around midnight. I walked around the campus for hours until I ended up sitting on the bleachers around the track. I sat there, my mind blank for who knows how long. I didn't even notice him approaching me until he started climbing the bleachers and it was too late for me to leave without him noticing.

"'Hey,' he called, 'Why did you leave like that?' I didn't answer him. He just stood in front of me, waiting. My eyes must have been red or something because he then asked me what's wrong. 'What do you care?' I snapped at him. 'I'm not your girl anymore. You're not obligated to ask, so don't.'

"'I know that. I just wanted to know.' He said. 'Why because you care?' I yelled at him, too mad to care who heard. He looked away from me and I laughed bitterly. I knew it. I just knew that whatever we had before was dead and gone. And it hurt me deeper than anything else. I stood up and started walking off. 'Where's your ring?' he asked me. I paused, refusing to answer his question. 'I didn't see it earlier either. And I don't think you the type of girl to take of your wedding ring so soon after the wedding.'

"'I didn't get married.' I whispered. I heard him walking towards me. I kept my back to him. 'What?' he asked, not hearing me. I turned suddenly to him. To this day, I'm still not sure what happened inside me but whatever it was, it made me snap out of my depression and I went off.

"'I didn't get married!' I yelled. 'I broke off the engagement after I saw you with that girl. There was no way I could marry Howard after seeing that. How could I when the love of my life was off with someone else? I would've been miserable and we probably would have been divorced by next year. Why? Because for whatever reason, I can't get you out my head. I can barely stop thinking or dreaming about you. I can't stop loving you!' My shoulders sagged I finish saying what I said. He just looked at me with a shocked look, tired of carrying those words for so long after. I knew it was too late to turn back from that moment, so I continued.

"'I cared about you since I've first met you. I loved you since our first kiss under the fireworks during 4th of July. And no matter what I do or who I try to date, it will never be the same because the love of my life will be living his with someone else. Someone who's not me…I love you, Trent.'

"He grabbed me so quicker than he ever did before and kissed me. I was stunned at first but soon kissed him back. And at that moment I felt more complete than I ever did before. He proposed the next day and we got married a few weeks later. It was small but nice. Soon after I graduated, I became pregnant with you. For the first few years we struggled, as you know, but then your father's company took off…you know the rest of the story."

I was silent, trying to take in everything she said. Everything about my dad that I dared to know. I took a couple of breaths, not sure what to say. My mom stayed silent, allowing me to think. Mom's story and memories of Robin and I swirled in my mind. I felt a slight headache as I thought of my next question.

"Is it the same, your love for him?" I asked her quietly.

"No," she told me. Shock rushed though me. "It's nowhere near the same."

"Then why are you…?"

"Why are we still married?" she finished. I nodded, only to remember she couldn't see me. But she didn't need to. "I'm still married because while he's done things that are unforgivable…I still love him as much as I did that night during 4th of July way back when. The amount of love I had for him only increased with time. As he changed, so did I. There were times when I seriously considered leaving him only to realize that I love him too much to want to live without him.

"People say a lot about him but I can honestly say that he's always loved me and only me. He's never cheated on me; never hit me or sold me or abused me in anyway. He never forgot to tell me he loves me. You may not understand and think it's stupid but…I love him enough to forgive the unforgivable. And for me, that's enough."

"Maybe you're right." I whispered to her. "I'll talk you later, mom."

"Okay," she said, disappointment lacing her voice. "Good night, Raven. I love you."

"I love you, too." I told her before hanging up. My breaths were shaky as I felt the tears that I've been holding back trail down my face. I wiped at them but they didn't stop, creating small puddles on the table. I laid my head down on it as my sobs took over. Mom was right. I couldn't understand how she could love someone enough to "forgive the unforgivable." How can I? How can I love him after everything that's happened? Why do I _still_ love him?

Where do we go from here?

* * *

Robin sat on his bed Friday afternoon, staring at the wall. He didn't go to school that day, not able to take anymore looks of pity anymore. If one more person came up to him with another offer to "help him get through this," he was going to scream. Nobody could help him through this. Not even Bruce…he barely heard Bruce enter the room. Robin didn't move as he felt him sit down.

"You have everything ready for tomorrow?" Bruce asked, his tone all business. Robin nodded. Bruce placed his hand Robin's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Robin. Time can heal all wounds."

"That's one of the biggest lies I've ever heard." Robin said. Bruce sighed.

"Yes, it is. But it does sound like a nice thing to say." Robin chuckled slightly before sighing and hanging his head down.

"If only the wounds did go away…"

"They never do." Bruce told him. "It's been ten years since your mom died and it's still…fresh." Robin nodded. It was the same for him.

"What was it like for you, losing her?" Robin asked.

"Like my heart had been ripped out." Bruce answered, not missing a beat. "It was more painful than any physical pain I've ever experienced. And I've experience quite a bite of it. There was never a time I cried more. I sometimes wonder if the reason I don't cry anymore is because I used all of those tears back then." Robin thought back to the funeral. It was the first time he saw Bruce cry.

"I remember that." Robin told him. "You were depressed for weeks after."

"I felt my whole world crashing down on me. Nothing mattered anymore. I felt as if I was barely alive. I was always tired and never wanted to get out of bed or do anything but stare at the picture of her on my bedside table. Sometimes I would even talk to the moon. Sometimes it felt like she was talking back." Bruce told him.

"Yeah, I know." Bruce looked at Robin with a raised eyebrow. Robin smiled sheepishly. "I caught you one night. It was the first time in while that I heard you talking…and laughing." Bruce chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

"Should've known." Bruce said. "I remember the day a lawyer came to my house and told me I was your guardian…it was the biggest shock of my life. It made my life worth something again."

"Glad I could help." Robin said softly. He stood up and went to his window. The day was clear and sunny. Robin frowned at the sky. He wished it was cloudy.

"I'm sorry, Robin." Bruce said. Robin shook his head.

"You didn't kill him." he responded.

"That's not what I was apologizing for," Robin turned around to face his guardian. He looked at him with confusion while his dad looked down. Bruce met his gaze with sorrow and regret. "I am…so sorry about walking out on you. I should have never done that. You needed me and I couldn't be there for you. And I'm sorry."

Robin was stunned into silence. Did he, the almighty Bruce Wayne, _apologize_? Robin stared at him. Bruce didn't break eye contact with him. Robin felt tears come to his eyes and Bruce stood up. Robin smiled a bit. He walked over to him.

"You're forgiven." Robin told him. Bruce smiled a bit as Robin started to walk past him.

"It's not wrong to hold on to some you love. Even if you're not the one they choose, it doesn't mean you have to let them go." Bruce told him. "Sometimes…the pain is worth it."

Robin didn't say anything as he exited his room, knowing he wasn't talking about Vic.

* * *

The funeral was held outside on the Wayne estate, in their graveyard. The sky was cloudy gray, fitting the service perfect. I stayed silent through the service as the preacher prayed over the coffin. No tears trailed down my face as Victor's family talked about how great he was. How he was loyal and strong. They didn't fall as his dad talking about how he was an amazing son who didn't deserve the death he had. I didn't cry as the preacher talked about warrior angels and karma. I kept my eyes down on the ground the entire time.

I didn't want to look up at Victor's parents, knowing both were hell-bent on finding whoever was involved in their son's murder. I didn't want to face the grieving family around me. I didn't want to reveal the immense guilt I felt as Uncle Mike held y hand. I felt the smallest relief as I heard the preacher say the final prayer. I looked up as they started to lower the coffin in the ground. My heart felt as though it was being pulled as I watch them lower Vic. This would be the last time I would see him. I took a shaky breath as I watched.

I turned away from the scene and looked around. Uncle Mike had tears trailing slowly down his face as he gripped my hand tightly. I look toward the front. Victor's dad stared at the coffin with his arm around his sobbing wife. My guilt started to choke me at the sight. How could I let this happen?

My gaze moved over other family members until I reached the person that I tried to avoid the most during this whole thing. Robin looked forward with his shoulders bent forward. My heart went out to him. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. I doubt that ever really could. Despite what he did, I couldn't help but miss him. I felt Uncle Mike touch my arm. I turned my head slightly towards him, my eyes never looking away from Robin.

"Everybody's moving inside." He told me.

"I think I want to stay out here. Just for a moment." I said. I saw him nod in the corner of my eye before he left, leaving only Robin and I behind. I watched as Robin walked forward pass the coffin. I followed him, unable to let him leave my sight, as crazy as it seemed. He soon dropped to his knees, his hands running through his hair as his shoulders shook with sobs. I stopped under the nearest tree and leaned on it. I felt my heart breaking at the sight of him but I wouldn't allow myself to move forward. I was stuck between turning away and moving towards him, so I stayed still.

Time passed as I watched him. My mother's words rang in my ears. _You may not understand and think it's stupid but…I love him enough to forgive the unforgivable. And for me, that's enough._ How? I wanted to ask. How can you forgive him? Robin looked up at the sky as I asking the sky why. I shook my head.

I wasn't use to love. It seemed so overwhelming to the point to where I could barely control myself because of it. All those nights I wasted, trying to figure out what I felt for him, denying that it was as deep as it was. Why? I felt tears come to my eyes as I reached up to my neck. I brought it back down as I only felt my skin, not the slight chill of steel or the gleam of silver. My mind flashed back to California, before Vic died. I thought back to how Leo touched me, how much he showed he wanted me. How much he cared. Before he made his mistake.

Before I realized what I was doing, I started to bring myself closer to Robin, not stopping until the distance between us was closed. He didn't hear me as I stood behind him. I reached out my hand out, hesitating before touching his shoulder. His head snapped up. His eyes bore into mine. The intensity in them went through me as I stared at the pain that they held. I wanted so badly to lean down and capture his lips but I held back. Could I give in? Should I give in after everything that happened?

"Raven," I reluctantly looked away from Robin towards the person who called me. Uncle Mike looked at me and motioned for me. "It's time to go."

I nodded, pulling away from Robin. I walked only a couple of steps away from him when Robin caught my hand. I looked back at him, secretly savoring the feel of his grip, knowing this could be one of the few times I'll ever feel it again. Robin gazed at me with pleading eyes. I felt my knees go weak. My heart pleaded for me to hold on. "Please," he whispered painfully.

I bit my lip, a lone tear escaping my eye. I understood what my mom meant now. She thought my dad was worth holding on to. She thought it would be worst if she let him go and she couldn't do it. Not after the first time. That's where my mom and I were exact opposite. I knew how to let go, no matter how much I loved someone. In the end, it's always been the right option for me. But Robin had been an exception to every rule I had.

_Where did we go from here?_ The question had been stuck in my head ever since the conversation with my mom. I had to either stay or go. Being in between wasn't an option. Not anymore. I closed my eyes as Robin's voice echoed in my head. _Please..._

I opened my eyes to him, telling him everything I couldn't say in that one moment, before I pulled away.

* * *

Robin slammed his locker closed. It was Wednesday morning, four days since the funeral. Four days since Raven pulled away from him for the last time. He bit his lip as more pain overcame him. _So this is what it feels to be rejected by someone you love_, he thought. He shook his head as he remembered the pained but resolved look in Raven's eyes. That was the only good thing about the situation.

That it pained her to let go as much as it did to watch her walked away from him.

"You okay, Robin?" Terra asked him once more. He looked at her with an irritated look. The last thing he wanted to deal with was Terra. Ever since the funeral, she had insisted to stay by his side. As the looks of pity and the offers to be "someone you could talk to" wore off, his patience with her did too. Some part of him knew he should be glad that Terra cared but he wasn't. Instead, he was suspicious.

She was out for revenge against for how he humiliated her. She went through so many funerals, more than anyone else in Southside, she learned not to care. She was one of the reasons Raven left. Now that he thought about it, she _wanted_ revenge on him too badly to just change her mind because of what happened to Vic. So why was she trying to act like his shoulder to cry on? Why did she care now? He turned to her with a sharp glare.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" he growled at her. Terra shifted uneasily under his gaze.

"I'm just trying to help you." She told him. She reached out to touch his shoulder. He grabbed her wrist quick, pulling her to him. He twisted it and she let out a yelp of pain. She looked at him with fear in her eyes. He glared down at her, his mouth forming a sneer.

" I know you too well for you to lie to me like that!" he said. She flinched under his words. He continued to twist her wrist some more. She gasped at the pain that shot through her so quickly.

"Robin, stop! You're about to break my wrist! Why is it so hard to believe I want to be here for you?" she told him with innocence. He shook his head. Terra was a lot of things, things he didn't expect, but innocent was never one of them.

"If you had anything to do with this, I mean _anything_," He twisted her wrist once more She bit her lip to stop from crying out. "A broken wrist will the least of your worries." He pushed her away from him before turning around and walking off. Terra stood frozen as she watched him walk away from her. She cradled her wrist as she thought about his words. Robin never said anything he couldn't carry through with and she was certainly no exception. She subconsciously touched her arm where her newest scar was forming.

"Trust me; I think I'm paying my price." Terra whispered.


	23. Turning Tables

_Turning Tables_

The key necklace shined brightly in the afternoon sunlight. Denise and Vanessa crawled on top of my stomach trying to catch it as I waved it around in the air. I sighed as I watched them be dazzled by the necklace just like I was when I first got it. It had been two weeks since the funeral and I was starting to _try_ and move on. At least, I thought so, until I found Denise opening my drawer. She got excited at seeing the necklace and wanted to play with it.

So here I am, on my bed on a late Thursday afternoon, playing with my cousins. I closed my eyes, imagining the feel of the necklace around my neck. The feeling of the cool steel on my skin as Robin bent down to capture my lips once again…

My eyes snapped open at the ringing of my phone. I held back a groan as I reached for it.

"What?" I snapped at the caller. I heard Jinx chuckle at my reaction. It threw me off for a second. This was the first time in days I've heard something remotely close to happiness from Jinx since we got back from California.

"Come on, Raven. You have to be somewhat excited to hear from me." She told me. Her words contradicted with her tone. Her voice was so flat.

"Just get to the point. I'm watching my cousins right now. I don't have time to play your games." I lied. I did have time but I did not feel like wasting anymore with her. Ever since I lost Robin, all she was to me was a pain in my ass that I only had to deal with for two more months. After that…I couldn't think of anything else. There was no longer an ending.

"Fine," Jinx said, "We're having one last raid before spring break lets out. After that you'll have a full week of me not bothering you."

"Right." I said, unconvinced.

"Trust me, Raven. The last thing I want to do over my vacation is talk to you." She spat at me. I shook my head. At least it was clear we both hated each other.

"When and where?" I asked, not truly listening at this point. She said something but I wasn't paying attention until the words "your first route" comes out of her mouth. "What?" I asked.

"I said we're gonna meet up at the Starbucks near Southside like usual. Then we'll go around Southside just like we did on your first route. Just to stir up a little trouble." I froze, the phone dropping out my hand. The twins squealed as they grabbed the necklace from my grip.

My first route. The route same route where I first saw Robin with Southside. The same route that led to Robin coming to my house that night with our first real kiss. The route that set everything in motion for us and brought us here.

"No!" I exclaimed. The twins stop to look at me, bewildered, and Jinx was silent. The world seemed to get quiet for a moment. Then the sound came back. The twins started to squeal and giggle at my necklace as Jinx's anger filled my ears.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Jinx seethed. "I've given you plenty of space since that funeral. It's just one thing before you go and you owe me. You owe Royal-"

"I don't owe Royal a damn thing! If anybody owes him anything, it's you. You're the one that sent him out there. You're the reason he's dead." I spat out at him. I looked at the twins who looked about to cry at my outburst. I heard the phone drop and a struggle in the background before I heard someone else pick up the phone.

"Raven," I heard Kori breathe out. I wiped my hand over my face before exiting my room, going to the twins' nursery. I closed the door before answering.

"I'm here." I told her.

"We need you tomorrow." She said, "There's no one else who can handle it as well as you. No matter how much Jinx doesn't want to admit it." I heard yelling in the background and Kori responding before she came back on. "Please, Raven? I'll be there to make sure she doesn't kill you." I sighed, looking down at the floor.

"I'll be there." I said, knowing that something worst could happen if I don't. Especially now that Jinx probably wants me dead. I slid down to the ground, clutching my head in my hands. I notice a couple wet spots on the ground before realizing I'm crying.

I hate her. I hate that I did this. I hate that I put Robin through all this for nothing. There is not happy ever after. Then I realize I'm jealous of her. Just like I was jealous of my mom a few nights ago. Still jealous of her. They got the chance to love someone fully, in public, without having to hide it. They didn't have to wait and sneak around for the opportunity to tell the person they loved the truth. I do. Or I did.

Just like everything good in my life, the chance has disappeared just as things were starting to look good.

I banged my head on the wall, for a moment not fighting that fateful night in California. I stopped struggling as the view became clear in my mind and the memory of Robin's eyes staring into mine with want. I let myself drown in the thought of what would have happened if I didn't stop him. If I gave into him.

If while it happened I let myself admit to him that I loved him.

Robin watched the night sky through a window of one of the vacant guest rooms. It was one the few rooms in the mansion that overlooked the family graveyard. He gazed down to the spot where Raven said goodbye. He sighed as he thought of her again. It brought back a bittersweet feeling he was starting to get use to. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and answered without looking, already know who it is.

"What do you want, Terra?" he snapped.

"I just got a tip off that Northside is gonna try and pay us a little visit tomorrow night. I need you guarding around 10, okay?" she told him.

"I'll think about it." He said. He hung up as soon as he heard Terra starting to protest. He tossed his phone across the room, knowing she would try to call again. His heart started having trouble finding a steady rhythm. Northside equals Raven. Which means there's a chance he'll be seeing her again. And he wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing. He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking about seeing her again. He yearned every hour of every day just to see one glimpse of her and now here's his chance. He groaned. As much as he wanted to see here, even hold again, he didn't want to risk her being hurt. Before he could stop himself he walked downstairs to his garage and picked up the keys to his motorcycle.

A half an hour later, he was starting down a path he could travel with his eyes closed. He knew everything about that path, from the amount of dips it had to the types of flowers that bloomed on every tree. More importantly, he knew where it led to.

He held his breath as he walked into the meadow. _Our meadow_, he corrected himself. He looked around, letting his breath go, as if the waiting for the magic that the place used to hold until his next night with her. It was gone. Robin's shoulders sagged a bit at the realization. There was no magic anymore for him. He turned to leave but surprised himself when in mid-stride he changed direction.

He kept walking until he reached the edge of the yard and stopped. He looked into one of house's windows. The room was bare for the most part except of the small evidence of someone's presence. His heart pounded so loud that he couldn't hear anything but it, as that said person walked into the room.

He watched as Raven walked through her room in her pajamas, adjusting little things as she went around the room before she went to bed. He tried to breath but it was useless. She took it away every time. As she started to get settled into her bed, he started to retreat when a flash of silver caught his eye.

Raven held up her necklace with a pained look. He fought against himself not to make his presence known as he saw a lone tear trail down her face. Instead, he saved the memory of Raven at one of her weaker moments. And once again, he was reminded of the pain she was feeling. This was just as hard for her as it was for him. Maybe even harder. He left before he could see her hide the necklace once again or before she noticed him there, each step more painful than the last.

As he stepped back inside of his house, he realized that not going tomorrow night would not stop Raven from going or prevent her from getting hurt. The best he could do _was_ being there just in case something happened. He could step in and protect her. He raced back to the room and grabbed his phone, ignoring the number of calls he missed or the text messages he wouldn't answer. He waited impatiently for Terra to pick up.

"Robin don't you ever hang up on me again! How are you gonna cut me off like that. Are you crazy? I don't want is going on with you but-"

"I'm in." he said, cutting of any protest or lingering comments from her.

"You know this is stupid, right?" Karen told me as we exited the house with my bags. I placed them in my trunk without answering her. "I mean, I'm fine with the whole 'lie to your folks' thing but just to meet with Jinx and her groupies is stupid. Why not just get a head on your vacation, like you said?"

"Because I need something that will guarantee Jinx staying off my back for a while and this is the only thing I can think of." I said.

"Walking into the fire of this whole situation is not helping anybody." She said with concern. "I mean if you go in, you might not come out." I ignored her as I got in my car. She got in the passenger seat and faced me. I faced forward, focusing on how dark the night looked with the shades. In a weird way, it was soothing.

"You're not doing this in some idiotic attempt to see him, are you?" I didn't answer her question. I heard her make a noise of agitation. "Are you crazy? You know that if you go and you see him this whole think could end with each of you at a gun point-" I faced her with sharply, removing my shades, reveling everything I was feeling. She stopped short at the sight of the dark circles under my eyes along with the redness in them. She gazed at the distraught and pain in my face that was barely held back with the hard edge of my smile.

The face of fragile control.

"Don't you think I know that?" I asked her sarcastically. She didn't say anything else as I pulled out the driveway. We were silent as I drove her to the motel Roy was staying at that night. She didn't say anything as I let her out the car, giving me a look of fear and concern as a parting gift. I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove. At a red light, I closed my eyes, willing myself to pull my emotions together.

_You can feel then later, _I thought to myself_; don't let yourself get killed because you can't pull it together. Focus, Raven. It'll all be over before you know it._

By the time I pulled up to the Starbucks, my head was clear with all my emotions locked away.

Kori grinned at my presence. She bounded towards me with her arms open. She gave me a hug and I returned it half-heartedly. I looked over to Jinx. She didn't seem to notice my presence as she stared at the ground. It was blank with the exception of the tears it held. For a moment, I felt sorry for Jinx. She lost the love of her life, the one person who would take the bullet for her or did anything to ease her pain. Who did she have now?

She stood up and turned to us, giving me a steely look. All my sympathy vanished. It doesn't matter what happen to her or the pain she's feeling. Jinx will always be Jinx. That will never change.

"Let's go." She said.

I didn't say anything as I walked back into my car with Kori. I followed Jinx silently as familiar sights flew past us. I started thinking back to the first time we came here, when Kori was telling me all I needed to know. I started to get tense as we got closer to Southside.

_Look everywhere. Don't let your guard down, no matter how safe the place seems._

I looked down at Kori's seat where my gun was secretly hidden.

_You got fifteen rounds on it. Make it last. If you run out, you whatever fighting skills you got and then run. Only a stupid person would stay and fight them._

I reminded myself of everything she said but as parked my car and got my gun out, heading over to Jinx's side, I knew the last thing I would do tonight is run. We joined the other Northsiders that were waiting for Jinx's directions.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" I said in a tired voice. She looked at me with a sadistic smirk that didn't reach her eyes.

"Today were giving Southside a little surprise. To thank them for what happened in California." I felt my heart skip a beat at her words. So this was revenge for her. I narrowed my eyes at her. She turned her attention to me.

"Something wrong, Rae?" she asked. I felt all the rage and hatred I felt towards her. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped short as I felt smooth steel move across my skin. I fought not to raise my hand o my neck, instead smirk with a blank look in my eye.

"Of course not, Queenie." I said, putting my shades over my eyes once more. I brought my hand down and discreetly touched my necklace. I knew wearing it was risky but I felt safer and more grounded with than without it.

Jinx nodded and split us up. I was the last to be grouped.

"You're with me." She said. I nodded. Just like last time…

We moved quickly through the alley, trying to blend in with the surroundings. Surprisingly, I was calm. I didn't jump at every sound made or at the sound of someone's voice nearby. Jinx didn't seem worried either. We moved quietly climbing the fire escape near us. _The same one I climbed my first day here…_ I thought quietly to myself, not letting my thoughts get any further. I can't lose my focus. Not with Jinx right beside me. I glanced sideways at her.

She was leaning against the railing, looking down at the ally. A somber look was on her face as we waited for the planned chaos to really start. The silence stretched for what seemed like decades.

"Was I wrong?" Jinx whispered. It seemed loud in the ally. I turned to her. Her cheeks were shiny with tear trails. I instantly knew she was talking about Royal.

"I don't know." I said. She shook her head with a bitter laugh.

"That's not what you said over the phone." She said. I didn't respond. She sighed.

"I don't know why I did it." She confessed to me. "He kept telling he wasn't sure he should. Said he had a bad feeling about it. But I told him, tricked him, to go. He made a deal with me. He said"-she broke off with a laugh; a happy laugh, no trace of bitterness of any kind in it. She pulled out a chain with a ring on it.-"'when we get out of here, we'll be together.'" I instantly knew what kind of ring it was. I've had more than one put on my own finger at once upon a time...

"He proposed." I said, testing out the words on my tongue.

"I had the whole world in my hand." She said as she stared at the ring. Then her gaze became hard and the ring slipped through her fingers as she whispered, "Then I lost it."

My earlier sympathy came back I watched Jinx hug herself. I saw the tears. I saw the anger and the hurt that Jinx felt over Royal's death. I even got a glimpse of the guilt that she was feeling. But it was only at that moment that I could truly see it at for what it really was.

Without Royal, she was alone in the world.

"I bet this is how you felt when you lost your rich and powerful fiancé to the Feds." She said sarcastically. It was my turn to laugh bitterly at the thought of mourning X.

"My fiancé was a malicious power-hungry jackass who got arrested for beating me but had to too much money for the public to know." Jinx shook her head with a small chuckle. I couldn't help but laugh quietly with her.

Maybe it was the fact that we both lost somebody or the fact that the odds always seem to work against us, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like we were on the same side.

Our heads shot to the west as we heard gun shots ring out. Jinx stood up straight, wiping all traces of her tears away, replacing them with a grim determination. Time for confessions was over. It was now time for business.

I followed her as jumped off the fire escape and came into the ally. We moved quietly towards the mouth of it. She pointed to the gun that I pulled out and held her hand out. I looked around quickly before reluctantly giving it to her. She replaced it with a different gun. One that was a little longer, a little smoother, and heavy with bullets.

"Thought you might like that one more." She told me. I didn't like holding any gun in my hand but I only nodded to her. Then we were off to the line off to the fire.

Being in a gang fight wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. My heart pounded, my skin tingled, my pulsed jumped at every gunshot and flame made but it wasn't in fear. It was the pure adrenaline pulsing through my veins.

A grunt passed through my lips as I felt another blow to my back. I turned and narrowly missed the person's swing to my head, their face nothing but shadows as another fire burned behind them. I grabbed their and twisted it until it broke. I pulled out my gun, shooting towards the person shooting at Kori. In the corner of my eye, I saw someone jumping towards me. I reached out and grabbed their shoulders, bringing my knee to their nose. I heard a satisfying crunch and smirked cruelly. Then I was off running, through the maze of allies. I slid up next to Jinx. She gave me the same cruel smirk that my own face held. We both looked like someone with nothing to lose. Or crazy, whichever one you want to go with.

Jinx pulled me closer to her so I could hear what she said over the chaos that was behind us.

"We're almost done here. Clear out the allies straight ahead until you hit the main street and you're done. I'll finish up here." I smiled at her with a hard edge.

"See you in a week." I told her as I stood up. I heard more people coming towards the area we were in. I looked back at her with the same smile. "Or not." Her sharp laugh echoed in my ears as I snuck into the allies ahead of me.

They were mostly clear and I found a mostly deserted area before pulling out the small container of gasoline, making sure my jacket was off. I poured it carefully across the alley before standing back and pulling out a lighter. I flicked it open and threw it into the gasoline. The alley burst in flames as I walked out to the alley that exited into the main street. _I'll never understand Jinx's obsession with fire_, I thought, flexing my bare arms a bit and putting my shades on once again, before I hear the tiniest noise behind me.

I tensed slightly before quickly whipping out my gun. The guy running towards me stumbled to a stop with his hands up. He was young, fourteen at most, trying not to look scared but failing. I smirked at him. He trembled a bit a walked slowly towards him.

"You look a little young to be playing this game." I said mockingly. His trembled harder as he tried to step back. I clicked down the safety and he paused. "You might not want to move." I advised cruelly. The boy's eyes flickered over my shoulder as I heard something click behind my ear. I felt the burning gaze on my back and could picture the gun in their hand.

"_You_ might not want to move, sweetheart." The voice caressed my ears. I closed my eyes as I turned around, my gun still up. He didn't look away from me as he spoke to the boy behind us. "Dante, go." He said.

"No, I'm not leaving-"

"Don't be stupid." He said sharply. I opened my eyes at the tone, only to lose my breath as he spoke. "Go. Now." There was silence for a moment before I heard the boy's, Dante, footsteps as he exited the alley. And then we were alone.

Robin relaxed as Dante's steps faded and lowered his gun.

"That was too close-whoa." He said as he stepped towards me only to step back from my gun that was still pointed at him. My look was grim as I looked at him. "Raven, we don't have time for this, Terra is gonna be here so. We don't have time for this." He stepped towards me, I took a step back. He put his hands just, as Dante did, as if he was no harm.

"Nevah, relax. It's me, Rob-"

"Don't say it." I said sharply. A look of realization crossed his face as his eyes met mine. Even with the shades, he could see right through me. We stood in the stand still for what felt like hours. His grew somber as we remembered the last time I held him at gun point.

"_What will happen when this happens?" I asked him. He shook his head._

"_It won't-" _

"_Then you're more ignorant than I thought." I said cutting him off. I stepped back so the gun was in plain sight. I held up the gun to his heart. "There will be a time when we both are forced to hold each other at a gunpoint. What will you do then?" I asked. I felt a cold fear enter me. Robin looked away before approaching. _

"_I don't know."_

"Don't do this." Robin pleaded; bring me back to the present. I shook my head at his voice. I looked over him once again. I felt my heart leap at the sight of him in front of me for the first time in weeks but the rest of me tensed as if he was a stranger.

And he was a stranger. I didn't want it to be true but it was. I've risked so much for him, for us, only for this to happen. Two deaths, a girl who will stop at nothing for revenge and a shattered heart…all for a stranger. I closed my eyes, feeling the wall that blocked out my heart's protest. If I pulled this trigger, it'll all be over. The trouble, the confusion, the pain…it would all go away. I put my finger over the trigger.

"Don't do this." He repeated. "Think about what you're doing. Everything thing that we've been through-"

"That's exactly what I'm doing." I said. My voice was flat and dead, ready to lose him. Ready to lose my first love. "The way I see it, the only way for this end fairly is for you to raise your gun and see who can pull the trigger faster." His eyes widened in shock at my words. Pain filled his eyes before grim look filled them.

He raised his gun so it was pointed right at my heart, his eyes deep with sadden resolve. We stayed at the stand still, never breaking eye contact, daring the other silently to shoot first. Then his eyes softened as he gazed at me. Robin shook his head before tossing the gun aside and lowering his hands by his side, completely defenseless.

"No," he said. His eyes met mine once again. He didn't look hurt or shocked this time. Just disappointment. Threads of pain came through the cracks of my wall and hit me harder than I thought they would. "I can't."

"Why not?" I demanded. I moved my finger over the trigger. Ready for what would be his last words. Robin's gazed burned, cutting into mine as he spoke.

"I love you." He said simply, his voice heavy with emotion and his eyes showing me the truth to his words. The statement hit me like a bullet, crumbling my wall until I felt myself split in two.

_Pull the trigger_, I thought,_ he's lying._ But my hand was still. I felt frozen. Cold. I bit my lip at the pain that filled me at the thought of killing him. Tears burned in my throat as I fought them back. But it hurt. And I didn't know why. I didn't understand. I moved back as walked up to me but he continued, catching my arm. He pulled me to him. I felt his heat seep into my skin, taking me from numb to feverish. There was desire in his eyes but now I noticed how they mixed with the love he felt for me.

_He loves me_. The thought filled my mind as he removed my shades, truly revealing my eyes to him. A small smile was on his face briefly but I barely noticed as he pressed his lips to mine.

It felt as if I never kissed him before. My mouth moved with his in a chaotic, hungry way that was new to me. I moved my fingers through his hair as I felt his hands wrap around my waist, leaving no space between us. I moaned, breaking away from his lips. He kissed my neck and lips again as I grew limp against him. I missed this. My thoughts were nothing compared to his real touch. Everything around started to disappear.

Then were heard sirens. Our heads snapped towards the sounds before we looked at each other urgently. I grabbed his hand.

"Let's go." I said. He nodded quickly before running beside of me out the alley back to my car. As we got in, I realized this was my second escape from Southside. Only this time it was night and nobody was shooting at me.

And the one person I wanted right beside me instead of my rearview mirror.

I felt Robin tighten his hold on my hand and I looked over at him. His face was grim with the reality in front of us but his eyes held a type of happiness that I haven't seen since Vic died.

_Love, _my mind corrected as I drove us away from Gotham and out of the city limits, _it's his love for you. _I pressed the on the gas and we jerked forward and faster away. With each mile, a new reality set in. There was no turning back now. No matter what I did, it wouldn't change what happened tonight. How I chose him over everything else. Over Northside, over Jinx, over my life.

And he chose me. _He loves me, _I thought with triumph. I felt overwhelmed with the joy, relief, love for him, and, more surprisingly, victory. I finally knew I held his heart in my hand just like he held mine. And that was enough for me.

_He loves me_, I repeated in my mind,_ He loves me, he loves me…_

_He loves me…_

Terra's mouth formed into a thin line at the words she was hearing. She sat in her chair, looking down at the kid in front of her. The guy was new with the same frightened look all the newbies had. But his words made her glad she was sitting when he spoke. Her knees felt so weak, she feared she would have fallen had she been standing. She kept her face blank but the tears were begging to be let out. At least no one else was around to hear their conversation.

"…She was holding out the gun ready to pull the trigger. It was obvious that they had some kind of past but I'm not sure what exactly." He told her. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. "So she was like a second away and then he said" Dante's eyes flickered away from her as he lied-"something and she froze. He grabbed her pulling him to her. Then he…" he looked at her uneasily, feeling guilty. Should he really be telling her this? Terra leaned towards him. Dante stood still, wanting nothing more than to move away but too scared of what would happen if he offended her. She smiled sweetly at him, lightly touching his face, easing his nerves a bit.

"I know you and Robin is close and you don't want to break the trust between you two," she said reassuringly, "but you have to tell me the truth. I need to know everything you saw tonight. If Robin's hurt, then we can help him. You won't be in trouble for this." She saw Dante's resistance crumbling slowly before her and held back a smirk. "Tell me." She urged. He took a couple shaky breaths before nodding.

"He kissed her." He said. The words hit Terra as if she ran straight into a wall. Every part of her ached from his words. She clenched the hand that wasn't comforting Dante into his confession. She composed herself as much as she could, hoping she could stay calm enough to hear the rest.

"What happened next?" she asked sharply. This time Dante _did_ take a step back.

"He left with her. Sirens were coming and he ran off with her." He said, his voice shaking.

"What did she look like?" Terra asked calmly as she settled into her anger.

"A couple of inches shorter than Robin. Long purple hair, real curvy, shades on. Scary looking but not ugly. Although her arms looked like she worked out regularly. Like she boxed or something…" Terra's head snapped up at the statement.

"What did you say?" she said. Dante froze as Terra rushed up to him and gripped his shoulders. He yelped at the pain from her grip. "What did you say?"

"I said it looked like she boxed!" he told her frantically. She dropped her hands as a memory hit her. A memory of her visiting the old gym Vic use to box at. A memory of a girl who looked familiar to her with her size, her height, her hair…her face.

"Get out." She commanded. "This conversation doesn't leave this room." Dante nodded and stumbled away from her as he ran towards the door. She thought of something else as he gripped the doorknob.

"What did he tell her?" she asked dangerously.

He froze for a moment, taking in her words and the threat in them, before answering.

"He said he loved her." He exited quickly before she could ask him something else.

Terra leaned on her desk, her heart beating quickly as pain ripped through her. He loved her? She shook her head. _This cannot be true_, she thought. Without trying to, her mind took her back to the months before, to the beginning of the school year. Back in August, when he first missed that car…

She gasped as she realized she saw a glimpse of the face that was in the passenger's seat. Terra knew now there was no way Robin could've missed that shot unless he missed on purpose. And she knew he didn't block the shot for Kori. He's encountered her right after that with no change. It was the other girl. The new girl with long hair, curvy shape, and the sharp eyes Robin always liked. The same face that she meet in the gym innocently enough. As a temporary friend…

"_Do I know you?" she asked. The girl froze at the question. "You look familiar." She looked at Terra over her shoulder._

"_No."_

Terra grabbed the nearest object to her and threw it through the window. Her scream getting stuck in her throat as the glass broke around her, a couple pieces grazing her face and arms. Only strangled sobs escaped. She collapsed on to her knees on the ground. _He betrayed me_, she thought as the tears ran down her face like small rivers. With each tear her guilt over Vic's death erased more and more until the only thing left was the raw need for revenge and a boiling rage. The need to repay Robin for everything he's done to her.

Every rejection, every humiliation, every threat…it all came rushing back to her. And the pain pushed her deeper into a part of her heart that was broken by him. She brushed her hand across the floor against the broken glass near her. She looked at her hand, spotting the tiniest pricks of blood on it. She clenched her hand. _Blood for blood_, she thought. If Jinx wanted blood then that's exactly what she'll give him.

And she knows exactly who she'll take it from.

"Are you certain?" Jinx asked sharply. "You could be risking a person's life, so you better be sure."

The guy in front of her nodded coolly. Jinx looked down at the cell phone in front of her. She replayed the video. It was pretty much black with the only light the flame in the back. She could vaguely make out two people, a boy and girl it seemed, standing in front of each other. The girl held a gun in her had. Despite the bad picture, the voices were clear.

"_Don't do this." _She heard Robin say. She could pick out his voice very easily. It was the girl she didn't want to believe…she paid attention to the video again.

"_Think about what you're doing. Everything thing that we've been through-"_

"_That's exactly what I'm doing."_ The girl snapped, cutting Robin off. _"The way I see it, the only way for this end fairly is for you to raise your gun and see who can pull the trigger faster."_ Robin then slowly raised his gun at her. The couple stayed still for a moment. Then there was a sudden clatter of something dropping to the ground. His hands went to his sides in surrender.

"_No,"_ Robin said. _"I can't."_

"_Why not?"_ the girl demanded.

"_I love you."_ Jinx watched as the boy pulled the frozen girl into his arms and she molded into him. She shook her head as the video ended with what she knew was a kiss.

"I need more proof than this." She told him. She heard the guy move towards her and dropped something on her desk. She picked it up, instantly recognizing it. It was the long silver gun she gave Raven earlier that night. She closed her eyes and sighed. After everything…it was a lie. She could never be trusted. "Thank you, Ace. You can go but remember this conversation stays between us." Jinx said in a detached voice. Ace nodded and exited quietly.

Jinx deleted the video before the possibility of anybody else seeing it rose. She then thought back to the conversation she had with Raven on the fire escape. It was their first real conversation and, though she would never admit it, she was glad she had someone to talk to for a moment, someone she could trust. Someone who could be her friend…

But that didn't matter now. Jinx knew that. Raven was a traitor and if she was hiding this, who knew what else she knew. She could even know who killed Royal.

The last thought brought back the grief and rage that she had suppressed all day, as she had been doing since his death. She fingered the engagement ring around her neck quietly. She stood, grabbing the gun, preparing for her walk home. Terra would be waiting, hurt and vengeful. And Jinx would use her pain, as she always did with anybody else, to get the job done.

_I promised Royal revenge,_ she thought, _and I always keep my promises._ And she repeated that thought to her as she locked the door to Northside and her loyalty to Raven.


	24. Stolen Moments

_Stolen Moments_

Robin gripped my hand tighter as I rested my head on his shoulder. We've been driving for hours now and I've had no idea where we were going, just that we weren't going to stop anytime soon. After the initial rush of escaping wore of, I was exhausted. Robin's been driving ever since. For the last few miles I started smelling the ocean.

"We're here." He whispered. My eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw a mid-size cottage. It looked quiet, homey. Private. Behind it, the ocean stretched beautifully in the late afternoon sun. It took my breath away. I got out and looked around. The driveway led to a small winding path that was hidden in a forest. There was no one around or any other houses.

"Where are we?" I said, as the sleepiness wore off.

"Charleston," Robin answered. "My grandparents on my mom side owned this place. My mom inherited it and then it passed it down to me." He walked up to me and placed a hand on the small of my back, steering me to towards the front steps. I stepped up to the wooden door, looking at Robin expectantly. He looked back at me with a mischievous spark in his eye.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked him. He let out a little chuckle.

"You have the key." He told me. I looked him confused. He nodded down to my neck. I looked down at the key around my neck. It looked delicate, more decorative than useful. I still took it off and tried it in the key hole. It fit perfectly. I twisted it slightly. The door gave away, opening in a silent greeting. I stepped inside. There was the classic wicker furniture in a warm brown with blue cushions. Cases containing books, movies, and games filled up one wall. A fireplace and mantel filled the other one. On the mantel were pictures but they didn't hold my attention. What got my attention was the giant open window that held the picture of the ocean.

Its beauty hypnotized me for a moment. I didn't even realize I walked towards it until I was grasping the seal. I closed my eyes as I felt the breeze. I always felt at peace near the sea. A sigh escaped my lips. _I'm free again_,I thought. Then I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me. Robin's heart beat steady on my back. _We are free._

I turned around in Robin's arms. Robin looked down at me with love, desire burning slowly in his eyes. I leaned forward and he kissed me softly, cupping my face. We kissed like that for a little before I moved my arms behind his neck, pulling him closer to me. He tilted his head to meet my lips with a new intensity. I moaned quietly against his lips. Robin paused at the sound, gripping my hips.

"We should stop." He said. I pulled back, confused. He looked at me with a torn expression.

"Why?" I asked hesitantly. I started to pull away but he pulled me back to him, kissing me again. I kissed him back with the same intensity as he bit at my lips. I held back my sigh this time, hoping to keep him close to me. I ran my fingers through his hair, gripping it as he pulled me tighter to him, molding me to him. I pulled back gasping but buried my face into his neck. The warmth of his hold comforted me.

"I don't want to pressure you." He said. "I don't want you to pull away from me because I can't control myself. I want you to be ready." He pulled back to look at me. He gently touched my face. "I'm not gonna lose you. I'm going to wait until you come to me and tell me you're ready…even if it kills me." A smile slowly took over my face. I cupped his face, bringing it down to mine, kissing him nice and slow. I paused on his lips.

"I'm ready." His eyes widened as I let go of his hands and walked out of the living room, making a right. The room was a calming blue with a king size white bed with netting. It was the biggest piece of furniture in the room. I fell back on it, sinking into it. I scooted to the center as Robin stood in the doorway. I meet his gaze, biting my lip. He walked over slowly before pulling my lip gently away from my teeth. My gaze flickered down to his own lips as my heart sped up.

The air seemed to crackle with heat as Robin captured them. I burned, feeling my skin get feverish the second my lips touched his. Robin pushed softly against my lips as he felt the change in temperature, winding his fingers into my hair. I pulled him to me, impatient to feel him next to me. We fell back. Robin landed on the side of me, briefly breaking our kiss. I grabbed his shirt, pulling him back to me.

He held himself above me as our lips clashed so he didn't crush me but just enough for him to outline me. My skin tingled where he touched me. His tongue started to tease my lips and moaned quietly as it entered my mouth. His hands moved down my arm, tracing small circles into my skin. My heart fluttered at the small movements, slowing down but pounding a little hard than usual. I broke away from his lip to kiss his jaws. I traveled down until I reached his collarbone before kissing back up. His hands moved at the same pace. I kissed gently on the spot between his jaw and collarbone before biting down softly. His hands squeezed my sides and I gasped as my stomach coiled tightly at the touch. I wasn't exactly sure what it was but I knew I didn't want him to stop.

Robin rolled us over until I was straddling him. He alternated between kissing and biting my neck. I tried to breathe normal but it became hitched. I clawed at his back as he continued. He reached under my shirt and started tracing circles on my skin once more. I pulled back and tugged at his shirt. He lifted his arms so I pull his shirt off. I licked my lips at the tight muscles that covered his stomach. I gently pushed him down. I leaned down and kissed his chest, my tongue darted out occasionally to taste his skin. Robin groaned as I made a slow path up his chest. He pulled me up and finally crashed my lips to his once again.

He moved through the buttons on my shirt. I didn't pulled away as I helped him remove it. Robin kissed at the newly exposed skin. My hands grabbed at his back. His lips traveled over my chest as I fought to think of something, _anything,_ other than how his tongue swirled on my heated skin. I bit my lip but a moan still escaped my lips.

"Robin," I half said, half sighed. I felt myself tense at his bit down my shoulder. I whimpered, hoping he wouldn't stop. Robin gently rolled us over so I was lying on my back and he was over me. He looked down at me with the most intense gaze he ever gave me. I shuddered under it and bit my lip.

"Are you sure?" he whispered in a seductive tone. I'm not sure if he meant to sound like that. I didn't care. I pulled him down, kissing him gently. He moved against me a bit, curving his hand around my elbow before once again moving it across my skin. I rolled us over so I was on top. I pulled back.

His hands were tangled in my hair, arms stretched out on both sides of my face. I gripped his wrists. He started loosening his hold until my hand traveled down his arms. I felt my heart trembling as I placed my hands on his chest, one directly over his heart. It beat strongly under my hand. I focused on its tempo, realizing that it beat at the same speed as mine. I leaned down until my lips resting on his, teasing him. He looked up into my eyes. I knew the look in my eyes would've been enough permission as his eyes reflected the same desire and want that I felt. The same love that I felt. But I also knew Robin needed to hear me say it.

"Yes." I said, feeling the word leave my lip better than I could hear it. I pressed my chest to his, kissing him once more. He returned it, as we both became desperate for this moment, not sure whether this would be a rarity or not. But in the end, I didn't really care. I love him and tonight I need him. _I need him, _I reassured myself, _I need him tonight._

And I finally gave in.

* * *

Jinx thought over the plan she and Terra had developed over the last two days. There were only at most another seven days left in Spring Break and they had to make sure this was perfect for their traitors when they came home. _This has to be perfect_, Jinx thought, _I can't risk it if it's not. _Jinx let her thoughts drift away as she heard Terra talking once again.

"I want him dead. Buried 12 feet under, then to resurrect him just-"

"Just to bring him to back to torture him again. Then kill him _again_." Jinx drawled out lazily. She gave Terra a sharp look. "I get it." Terra didn't speak. She knew that Jinx was tired of hearing her pointless ranting but she couldn't help but vent the frustration. She tried ever way of getting in contact with Robin but there was nothing. His phone was dead, he wasn't home, and nobody knew _where_ he was…it was as if he disappeared of the face of the Earth.

"What did you expect, Jinx?" Terra said standing in front of her. "You know me like the back of your hand. You knew I would do this."

"I knew you would cry over a guy who made it clear months ago he didn't want anything to do with you?" Jinx looked up from the gun she was cleaning. "I actually didn't think you would do that." Terra let out a sound of frustration as she aimed a fist as Jinx. Jinx caught effortlessly. Terra's eyes widen as Jinx stood up and held her back with no struggle.

"See that was always your problem, Terra." Jinx continued, "You always needed someone to protect you. When I stopped being bodyguard, you tried to trade up. Now that's he's gone, you have no one. You are weak for it. And because of your weakness, people suffer." Jinx let her go. Terra stumbled back a couple steps. Jinx brushed shoulders with her as she past to exit the room, whispering, "Some even end up dead." Jinx grabbed the door knob, when Terra's words stopped her.

"When are you gonna believe me?" Terra asked. Jinx froze. "I didn't mean to hurt the way I did. Trust me when I say I never meant to take Royal away from you."

"Really?" Jinx said, turning sharply to her twin, "Because trusting you doesn't change the fact that he's dead. Or that's it's your fault."

"I wouldn't purposely take away someone you loved like that. Not on purpose. I knew how much Royal meant to you. I didn't want him to die, especially the way he did-"

"Yet, you still did," Jinx accused, "_You_ took him away from me. My sister, my twin. You know, you've always had this thing with always wanting us to be equal. You couldn't stand the thought of me having someone that actually loved me. Someone that I could trust completely while you only had someone who in the end didn't give a damn about you. Never did. Now with Royal gone, we're even, once again."

"Jinx -"

"What?" Jinx snapped. Terra bit her lip at the edge in her tone.

"I think you need to let yourself grieve." Terra told her hesitantly. Jinx rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, I've been crying nonstop for the last week. I'm tired of crying!"

"Crying doesn't mean that you are grieving." Terra said softly, looking down at the ground. Jinx gritted her teeth. Who was she to even suggest she really knew what she was talking about? She never lost anybody like this. Ever. She couldn't possibly have the slightest _clue_!

"If you want me to say it out loud for everybody, then fine," Jinx said. "Royal is _dead_! There is nothing anybody can do about! He's never coming back! _Ever_!" Jinx yelled. Terra looked at her with despair and…pity. Jinx turned sharply on her heel and left with a slam, entering the eerie quiet of the streets.

The night's dangerous quiet comforted her.

She pulled her jacket tighter around her body, relived that she didn't hear another set of footsteps following her. She walked deeper into the neighborhood. The streetlights flickered over her head with their orange glow guiding her to her destination. She paused as the railroads entered her view. She knew they had been obsolete for years but she still hesitated to cross them. Only Royal could make her cross them with reassurance. With him gone, it felt wrong to be here. What was once halfway safe is now too dangerous to even convince her to enter. Jinx crossed anyway. _If I can face a gunshot I can cross a damn railroad_, she thought bitterly.

Jinx walked through the barely lit area. She watched the tracks disappear under her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw abandoned train cars pass by. _You know people actually lived there back in the 50's,_ Royal once told here,_ it was like a type of hidden community from the cops. It's kinda amazing when you think about it. A whole community being able to hide in plain sight. Kind of like us. _She growled into the night as she remembered Royal's words. If only it would stop! She was sick of this. She was tired of being tortured b memories, tired of grieving. Tired of grieving harder than his friends or his drunk of a mom.

_Sometimes this life drives me crazy. Like I keep running, doing what I got to do to get out of here but nothing is happening. There's always something that didn't get done or another thing I have to do. I kept running but I'm not moving. Not going anywhere. Some days I feel like I should quit while I'm ahead. And then I think of you. And how I need to get out of here to get you out of here. How I can't leave you here. And it reminds me why I'm running in the first place._

_You're the only one I know is real. The only one I can truly trust, you know?_

Of course I know, Jinx thought, you never let me forget that.

She finally reached the last train car in the lot. It was small and decorated with graffiti on the sides. There were no doors or windows. Just an empty shell of metal. She touched the cool surface before kneeling in front it. Although Royal was buried in a cemetery near the school, she thought of this place as his true grave. The one place he was truly safe.

She bit her lip as she reached under the train car until she felt the cover of a drawing pad. She pulled it out and opened it. There was just enough light for her to make out the various drawing. She flipped through the worn pages. There were drawings of people and landscapes in abstract. To a stranger, it looked like a crazy network of lines that formed a picture you could just barely understand. However, Jinx knew better. Behind the initial picture was another image, hidden in between the lines, showing off the true image to those who chose to see it. Jinx flipped slowly through each page, finding them. The first consisted of simply images: a valley as butterfly wings, a guitar disguising a woman, a twisted railroad park turned into a flower. But as she flipped through, she started seeing portraits. Full page black and white drawings of people she knew, some she didn't. None of him. She turned a page and paused. The drawing consisted of a mother and son. From the few times she's seen her, Jinx could tell that it was Royal's mom with a big smile that lit her face up. She was leaning down, wrapping her arms around a toddler with hopeful eyes with a shy smile. Like they were taking a picture.

Jinx felt tears sting at her eyes as she looked at Royal as a small child, forever engraved into the aging paper. And that's all he was going to be. A memory stuck in her mind.

"_I love you,"_ _he told her for the first time in that same spot. _

"_Then you're an idiot." 15-year-old __Jinx_ _told him. "You can't love me." Royal shrugged._

"_I do." Jinx started to stand when Royal grabbed her waist, pulling her back down. She landed in his lap. Before she could protest, he kissed her deeply. "And there is nothing you can do about that." She shook her head._

"_Why?" Royal squeezed her softly as she settled deeper into his arms._

"_Because I do," he said, "Too many reasons for me to really list. I know enough to want to protect you. Enough to want to fight for you." He kissed her forehead sweetly. "Enough to know it's more right than anything." Jinx sighed._

"_I'm scared." She said. "I love you, but with everything going and my sister and this whole gang thing-" Royal crashed his lips to hers once again, cutting her off. She sighed into the kiss before cupping his face in her hands. She savored it, not sure if would be the last or first of many. She couldn't tell at the time. Royal pulled away slowly._

"_You love me." He said. "That's good enough."_

Tears started to drip onto the page as she stared at the last portrait. It was her and Royal in the railroads. She was caught with her mouth wide open in laughter, smiling radiantly as she rested inside his arms. Royal gazed down at her with a smile that suggested his own laughter. She didn't miss a detail, from the subtle heart that outlined their figures to the diamond engagement ring with a wedding band behind it. She wiped her face, shaking her head.

"_Okay," he whispered. "I'll do it." Jinx looked up and saw the troubled look in his eyes. She felt the biggest wave of guilt she's ever felt in her life. She moved on the bed to sit next to him. She kissed the side of his face, before burying hers in his shoulder._

"_Thank you," she said._

"_One condition," he said. She looked up. He moved his arms around her until he was cradling her in his arms. He stroked her face before pulling out a chain. On it was a silver ring with a circle of diamonds. "When we get out of here, we'll be together." He dropped the ring in her hand and cupped her hand around it._

_Jinx knew what Royal meant. When all this Northside stuff was over and they could go away. She looked at the engagement ring in her hand and smiled. There was no one she would rather run away with. She hugged him. _

"_Yes." She accepted. Royal smiled with a gleam in his eyes. He placed the chain around her neck and kissed her. _

"_Thank you." He said. _

"_Thank you." She emphasized. She owed Royal everything. Jinx held him tight to her, letting herself enjoy this moment before it had to end._

Jinx dabbed at the tears gently before they stained the picture too much. She was right about what she thought earlier that night. She would hate herself for that mistake. As much as she didn't want to admit, she killed Royal just as much as Terra. If not more. She started to tear at the ground, making shallow hole. She closed the drawing pad, placing it inside the tiny grave. She reached up to remove her necklace but stopped herself. _Not yet,_ she thought._ I'm not there yet._

She left it around her neck as she started to fill the grave, forever burying Royal's art and soul into the ground. She stood up and walked quickly back to her apartment. Terra opened the door as she came into sight. Jinx looked at her as her tears blurred her vision.

"You know I hate you, right?" She told her. Terra shrugged with a somber look.

"I know." Terra said. Terra reached out to her and Jinx collapsed into her arms, sobbing. Terra rubbed soothing circles on her back, holding her twin tight.

* * *

I kept my eyes closed as Robin's fingers played over my bare shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh. I snuggled further into my pillow and heard him chuckle. I opened my lazily. Robin was smiling softly at me as the sun glowed all around him. I smiled at him sleepily as I moved my hand to his face, tracing small, light circles on to it. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me tight to him. I sighed into his neck as he held me.

"We should definitely wake up like this more often." He said against my skin. I settled deeper against him.

"Yes, we should," I mumbled. "Although I doubt my Uncle Mike would enjoy seeing a naked guy in my room."

"Hey, I got pants on." He said. "And who said he has to know?" I chuckled.

"Right, because we were _so_ quiet." I said jokingly. He smirked at me.

"Yeah, you were pretty loud." He said. I rolled my eyes but gasped as he hitched my leg over his hip. "Looks like we have to learn how to be quiet." I laughed easily, feeling the happiest I ever have.

"Yes, we should." I told him as he moved us so I was lying back with him over me. He rubbed soothing circles into my leg and I let out a sighing moan, closing my eyes. I opened them just as quickly, watching him as he looked his face to mine.

"You okay?" he asked me, feeling every word he said. I nodded and he kissed me gently. To answer the inevitable question: yes, it hurt. It hurt quite a bit. For me and Robin, since we were both been around each other and have…explored a bit, it wasn't as awkward as it could've been but it was still awkward. Or it was until he gave me his shirt to cover myself and held me. That was actually one of the best parts. And as I stroked his face, I knew that it was worth it.

I started to chuckle a bit as I kissed him. He paused with a smile.

"What?" he asked. I pressed my lips against him quick before pulling back. I untangled myself from his arms and standing away from the bed.

"If we keep going like this, we'll never get out of here." I told him. He smirked at me.

"You act like that's a bad thing." He said. I rolled my eyes with a smile. He did have a good point…

"I wanna go out." I told him. He groaned and fell back. He then sat up and dragged himself out the bed with a pout. I laughed at the pout he was giving me. He was so adorable. I leaned down and kissed his cheek. He turned away from it. I rose and eyebrow before kissing him the corner of his mouth, teasing him. I smirked as I kissed the other corner of his mouth and down his neck. He sighed as he pulled me on top of his him. I kissed back up his neck and hovered over his lips.

"Please," I said against them. He groaned once again and I knew I won.

"Fine," he said in defeat. "But you owe me." I laughed and kissed him sweetly before pulling away from him to get dressed.

"Thank you." I told him from the doorway.

"Uh huh," he said laying back down once again. I looked at him for a moment, memorizing his relaxed form before changing. I decided to wear tan shorts and a white blouse for the day. I went to the kitchen as I waited for Robin to change. There wasn't much more than a couple boxes of cereal and water. I made a sound of triumph as I found some instant apple cinnamon muffin mix. I made those quickly as I waited.

As they baked, I looked at mantle above the fireplace. There were various family pictures. I picked up one of Robin in a suit with an easy smile. There was something off about it, though, as I scrutinized it. He looked older somehow and Robin's eyes are a darker blue…my eye widened in realization. That wasn't Robin; it was Bruce.

"Just realizing that wasn't me, huh." I jumped at Robin's voice. I turned around at his amused expression. I looked dumbfounded at the picture in my hands.

"Yeah, um," I said, "I never realized how much you and Bruce looked alike." Robin shrugged before replacing the picture.

"They say I have his face," he told me as he looked at more pictures. He hesitated before picking up another picture. His eyes were slightly grim as he gazed at it. "But I have her eyes." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. He held out the picture to me and I took it. As soon as it left his hand, he walked into the kitchen with heavy steps. I looked down at the picture in my hand. It was a picture of a small toddler. He had an eager smile on his face and bright eyes. It seemed as though he would jump right through the picture with only two arms holding him back. The arms belonged to a young woman who was smiling sweetly at the camera. She glowed with happiness just like little Robin in her arms. I noticed that her eyes were just like his, with the same brightness in them.

Robin's mom.

I looked back at him. He was silent as he took out the muffin in the oven. The smell of apple cinnamon quickly filled the air. I walked over to him, holding the picture tight in my hand. I sat at the island, drumming m fingers quietly on it. Robin looked up at me with a saddened expression. I gripped my arms and looked back at the picture.

"What was her name?" I asked quietly. He let out a shaky breath.

"Ava," he answered. I nodded before standing up. I wrapped my arms around him. He sighed as he hugged me back. I rubbed his back soothingly, fighting back the tears I felt for his pain. Robin's breathing steady and I pulled back a bit. A lone tear was making its way down his face. I wiped it away, letting my hand linger on his face. He turned his head and kissed my palm.

"She's beautiful." I told him. He nodded but the sadden remained. "Let's go." He nodded, relieved a bit at the opportunity to breathe, letting me lead him out the door.

Me and Robin walked along the boardwalk hand-in-hand as Robin told me more about his mom.

"She was always a sweetheart and she practically suffocated me and my dad with love. She was the only person I knew who could make Bruce laugh and I mean really laugh. His eyes would light up and he would have this huge smile. He was just so happy…it makes me realize how long it's been since he's had a good laugh, since he's really smiled." He told me. I thought about his words. It's funny how much I could relate to that.

"Time can heal wounds but it's a slow healer." I said. "Maybe that will never heal." Robin sighed.

"I know," he said quietly. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "I just hope I never have to feel that pain." He said in my ear. I stopped walking, looking up at him. I leaned up and he kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. He held me close to him. I pulled away briefly.

"I hope so, too." I told him, kissing him quickly. I looked at him before smiling. "And now I hoping you're gonna take me shopping." He groaned once again. I giggled at his reluctance.

"I thought you weren't into that stuff."

"Not often but I have my moments." I said, leaning him to the outlet mall nearby. He looked me up and down.

"Mm hmm," he said with a frown. I gave him a sympathetic look before kissing his cheek and dragging him to the first boutique. Robin wasn't the one to go clothes shopping with. He was impatient and energetic. Not the best combination when looking for something to wear. We went to a couple of store before I finally got annoyed with "Are you done yet? Are you done yet? That looks great. Are you done yet?"

My teeth were grinding as we started walking along the boardwalk once again. My mouth relaxed into a smirk as I spotted a store I was looking for, pulling Robin to a stop. Robin looked at me, questioning why I stopped our walk.

"I'll see you in a bit." I told him. He looked behind me to the store I was about to enter. His eye widen before filling with excitement.

"It's okay. I can handle this one." He told me as he looked between the store and me.

"No no, I've been dragging you around all day. You deserve a break. There's a music store right there. I'll be outside when I'm done." I said teasingly. He frowned before wrapping his arms around me.

"This would be a great to pay me back." He whispered soft and low in my ear. I sighed and tightened my grip. I smirked as I pulled away. Nice try.

"But it would ruin the surprise." I said, smirk still in tack. He lifted his hands in frustration before kissing me.

"Such a tease," he said after he pulled away.

"I know." I said before pecking his lips, "Love you, baby." I called as I walked into Victoria Secret's. I watched as robin's face lit up at my statement before focusing at the task at hand. I scan around for a couple of items, mostly stuff from Pink with a couple of surprises for Robin. I smirked as I exited soon after only for it to fall at the sight in front of me.

A girl with a curvy figure and red hair-a valley girl, I think-stood in front of Robin, chatting animatedly to him, her back towards me. He smile politely but subtly looked around. She continued, oblivious to his obvious uninterested, and touched his arm. My temper flared at the sight of seeing her hands on him. Robin tried to be nice and pull his arm away but she wasn't having it. She touched his hair and I was storming over there so fast, people hurried to get out my way. Robin spotted me and gave me a look of relief.

"Hey, baby!" he said enthusiastically, eager to pull away from the girl holding him hostage. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my temple. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." I told him with an edge, sparing him a smile as he kissed me. I turned to the girl with sharpened eyes. I felt Robin grow tense as I took her in. Yep, she was a valley girl alright, right down to the freckles and sun-tanned skin. She gave me a sweet, sarcastic smile. "Whose your friend?" I asked with fake-enthusiasm.

"I'm Carla," she said with a slightly accent. "And I didn't know you had a girlfriend, sweetheart." I clenched my hand into a fist.

"I'm sure I mentioned it a good three times to you." Robin said with certainty, holding me back as he felt me tense up at the term. Carla just shrugged at him innocently.

"Doesn't ring a bell," she said sugary-sweet. I narrowed my eyes at her. I know Robin. He would've mentioned me if he could. And we're not in Gotham. We're safely away from all of that. Which means I didn't have to hold back…I smirked as I addressed her.

"Well, Carly-"

"It's Carla." She corrected.

"Well, Carly," I repeated, ignoring her. "you look like a sweetheart and I believe you. I'm sure that's a fact that you can easily ignore. However, I hope I can make this very clear to you." I said just as sweet as I pulled away from Robin. My voice dipped into a lower, slightly dangerous.

"You put your hands on my man one more time, and I will gladly snap your wrist _off!"_ I snapped before giving her a smile. She jumped at my voice, her face falling with a panicked look in her eyes. "Does that ring a bell, sweetheart?" I asked her sweetly. She nodded quickly before walking away, almost tripping over her feet. I smirked at her hurried escape. I turned around with a sigh and Robin was smirking at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Robin shook his head.

"I never knew you were the jealous type." He said amused. I rolled my eyes as he pulled me to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist. "Come on admit it."

"I'm not the jealous type." I told him, "I'd only be jealous if I was afraid I would lose you to someone else." I stood up on my toes and kissed him quickly. "And from what I can see, I don't have to worry about that anymore."

"You never did." He told me, as he held me tighter to him. I smiled at him and we started to walk again.

"So what did you get?"

I sat on our bed at the cottage as Robin looked through the living room for a movie for us to watch. I looked at the beach and how the ocean lapped at the shore, taking me to a time I could barely remember. But it was there. And the few clear moments I remembered were engraved in my mind, always in the back of it. I only let myself remember them when I was near an ocean. I felt Robin climb on the bed beside me.

"Here it is, House Party." He said. I nodded at him. _That was a funny movie_, I thought distractedly as I turned back to the sunset outside the window. He touched my hand, bringing my attention back to him. "Watcha thinking about?" he asked as he laid across the bed in front of me. I shrugged before looking back at the view.

"Old memories mostly." I said to him.

"Tell me." He said, squeezing my hand a bit. I smiled a bit as I remembered.

"I was thinking about the time my dad took me and my mom to the beach. I was, like, eight, and it was before he started his company. Back when we were still struggling. Though he didn't want us to know, me and my mom knew that we really couldn't really afford the trip but I remember him saying it didn't matter. 'We need this.' He would say to my mom. 'We need to escape the world for a while…' I always remembered that. It was one of the few things I remember my dad saying. My memory of it is perfect…

"We spent a whole weekend at this cheap beach house he got one of his friends to let him rent. We always went to the beach and would play there all day. It was so much fun, having my dad spin me around and laugh like nothing else in the world mattered. On our last night there, my mom made this picnic and we brought blankets down and watched the sunset. It was the most beautiful thing in the world to me. My dad wrapped his arms around both of us, bringing us closer to him. I told him how beautiful the sunset was to me. He laughed and whispered to me 'You wanna know what it's saying?' I nodded, thinking I would learn magic or something, and he told me 'It's really saying goodbye to us. It's escaping this whole world. Some things are too strong for even the sun to handle. Even the sun needs to escape the world. And we're doing that right here, right now. Eventually we'll go back but for now…we're escaping the world.

"Those words stuck with me. After that I always said my dream home would be on a beach so I never had to go back to the world. I could be free of the bad apartments, the school kids, watching my parents struggle. I could be free from it all…it's funny how I only let myself remember that when I'm near the ocean, usually during sunset. It's the only time I feel safe enough to remember that's it's okay to think of him like that. That it's okay to love him, to want him around. That there was a time when daddy was the good guy…" A tear fell without me realizing I was crying and I quickly wiped it away but a couple more escaped before I could stop them. Robin sat up and wrapped his arms around me.

"That's the best memory I have of him." I confessed to him. "It's the only thing that reminds me why I miss him." Robin kissed my cheek gently as he wiped away more tears. I sighed as my tears started to fade. He held me tight to him as I thought of that trip to the beach. I shook my head, unable to take. I turned my face up and he kissed me softly.

But I didn't want soft.

I pulled him tighter to me, gripping at his skin. He laid back and I wrapped my arms around his neck as my hands traveled over his chest. I tugged at his shirt and he took it off. I kissed at his chest and he gripped my hips as we started to move together. He turned me over and I raised my legs so they wrapped around his middle. He pulled off my shirt and moved my bra off my shoulders, kissing them. His lips traveled up my neck and met my lips eagerly, biting and pulling at them. I chuckled, causing him to pause.

"What?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"We're not going to get to that movie, are we?" He smiled mischievously before shrugging.

"We'll watch later after I get my surprise." he said with a smirk.

"Oh, okay." I said with a laugh before covered my lips with his once again. "If that's what you want." I said against his lips heavily. He laid me back on the pillows and his eyes softened as he looked down at me. I felt my heart bang as I stared at him with the love I felt for him and his love for me crashed over me.

"Honestly, at this moment…all I want is you." He said softly. His words hit my chest and I smiled widely, leaning up and kissing him eagerly. He laid us down, pulling the covers over us, as we began making love.


	25. Holding On To This Moment

_Holding On To This Moment_

"I wish you would've come down for Spring Break sweetheart." I held the phone between my ear and shoulder as I reached up in the cabinet the kitchen. I looked through the shelves, wishing I was taller, as my mom continued to talk. "I mean, I haven't seen you in months! I miss my baby."

"You've gone longer without seeing me, you know." I reminded her. "Like when I spent a year in Japan with dad's parents or when I was going to boarding school overseas."

"That's different." She said. "You we're in another country then."

"Right, like we don't have our own private jet." I said sarcastically. She laughed a little before sighing.

"I still wanted to see you. It was pure torture when I would wake up Christmas morning and the only way I could talk to you was through a video. Or I had to do long distance calling." I flinched at the slight pain in her voice. "I didn't have to deal with them in this case, so what's your excuse?" I sighed.

"I just wanted to spend the week someplace new, mom." I told her, temporarily taking a break from trying to reach the pancake mix. "With new people and new-" I couldn't help the smirk that came over my face-"experiences. It's not that I don't miss you. I do. But I'll be back in a couple of months. I thought it would be okay if I skipped out on this one." It was my mom's turn to sigh.

"I know, I know. Part of growing up is experiencing new things." She said in an ironic tone. "But still wished you would've come home."

"Please don't make me feel guilty." I asked her quietly. She was silent for a moment.

"I'm glad you're having fun." she said. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Me too."

"And I can't wait to see you."

"Me either."

"Bye, sweetie. I love you." She said with a slightly sad tone.

"I love you, too." I said before hanging up. I sighed as I reached up once more, trying to grab the pancake mix. I glared at the box that was just out my reach as I stood on my tiptoes. I felt Robin wrap his arm around my waist as he reach over my head to get the box. My glare softened as he put it in my hands.

"Now I know why my dad made the cabinets so high." He said in my ear before kissing it. I moaned quietly before relaxing against him.

"Shut up." I told him. I stepped away from him to start making breakfast.

"Oh, come on." He said. "Don't act like you don't love my voice." He moved my hair and kissed the back of my neck. I paused, closing my eyes. He stroked the skin under my shirt and I bit back a moan. I rested my head back on his shoulder.

"I love a lot of things about you." I told him. "But if you keep doing that, breakfast will never get done." Robin chuckled but I felt him smile on my neck before stepping away.

"So how was the talk with your mom?" He asked as he sat on the other side of the island.

"It was nice." I said. "It's funny how I forgot how much I missed talking to her."

"Most people do." He said nonchalantly. "But only if they really _talk_ to them. Moms are usually really good at listening." I nodded in agreement. We talked about light topics, nothing serious as we sat down for breakfast. I shifted a bit as we did, massaging my neck. I saw Robin smirk.

"What?" I asked. He gave a mischievous smile before shrugging.

"You sore, baby?" he asked. I rolled my eyes as he laughed at me.

"Yes, I'm very sore since someone wanted to pull an all nighter." I told him, leaning back. I slouched a bit to relax my spine. Robin got up and walked over to my side of the table. He pulled my chair back as he lifted me into his lap, kissing my cheek.

"Sorry, baby," he said as he began to kiss the side of my neck. I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Don't be." I told him. He kissed me softly and smirked.

"Good, because I wasn't." he said between kissing me, "Still not." I pulled away and leaned on his shoulder. I sighed as I looked out the window to the ocean. I frowned as I stared at it.

"Watcha thinking about, sweetheart?" He asked quietly. I buried my face into his neck. I kissed it before breathing in his scent.

"You know what." Robin tightened his hold on me for a moment before drawing small circles on my back.

"It'll be okay." He whispered. I shook his head. "It will."

"It's our last day." I said as I pulled back to look at his face. "It's the last day that I go out in public with you. Spend time with you during the day. The last day that I can eat breakfast, laugh, have some real free _fun_ with you." I kissed him. "The last day I can do all that and not be scared or worried." My shoulders sagged a bit as I looked down at my hands. "This is the last day that I can make love to you and wake up next to you." I told him, barely above a whisper.

"Is it so wrong for me to be sad?" I asked him quietly, desperately. I looked up at his mournful look. He shook his "no." Robin bit his lip and looked away from me. I didn't looked away from his face, memorizing how it looked for the days ahead of us when it would be too dark for me to see him.

"We should go to the beach today." Robin said. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He looked at me with a hint of a smile. "I'm serious. We've lived on one all week and haven't spend more than an hour or two on it. So I say today is a beach day. Just me, you, and the ocean." I looked back at the window with longing. He was right. We've either gone to the city or stayed in. We've barely been on the beach. And I haven't been in so long…I gave him a small smile with a nod.

"I'd like that." I told him. His smile grew and he looked at me like I made him world. Like I was his universe.

"I love you." He told me before kissing my cheek. He gently pushed me off his lap, towards the bedroom. "Now go get ready. I'll get the chairs and stuff." I looked at him, giving him a real smile as I did, before going to our room to change.

* * *

Robin and I walked arm-in-arm as we walked towards the beach. We spotted two wooden beach chairs and threw our beach towels over them and Robin set up an umbrella. I took off my flip-flops off and sighed as I felt the sand on my toes. Since it was still mid-morning, the sand was cool.

I looked out at the water and the sky, which was shaking off the last of the sunrise colors. I breathed in the sea air, salty and heavy. Despite the fact that my separation from Robin was just on the horizon, it looked very far away. I couldn't help the smile that grew across my face as I grabbed Robin's hand and lead him to the water.

The water was freezing as it hit my skin but I didn't care as I splashed in it. I laughed as I hit Robin with water, starting a water fight. He slipped at one point, making me laugh before he began to chase me. I would always just be out his reach every time, his fingertips brushing my skin. I would only giggle before dodging him once again. I didn't savor the touch as if it would be my last or think of how our whole relationship was based on us chasing each other. I only kept encouraging for him to keep trying to catch me.

"Come on, Robin, you gotta work harder than that!" I exclaimed as I turned to him. I squealed as he caught my waist so we were chest-to-chest. We stumbled to the ground at the sudden capture. I giggled softly as he grinned. He kissed my shoulder.

"Looks, like I've caught you." He said.

We laid like that for a while. My back was on the ground as he laid his head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, our legs intertwined. We were both breathing heavily. I sighed as I stroked his hair silently. He wrapped his arms around me more as the water lapped at our legs. I closed my eyes briefly at the feeling before watching the water glimmer and sparkle in the sun. I didn't pay attention to the people playing farther down or the looks we got.

I was at peace.

Robin shivered before lifting his head. He kissed me before sitting up.

"I'm hungry." He said, his stomach growling in unison. I laughed before holding my hand out. He grabbed it and we stood. He placed his arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the chairs. I plopped down on one as he dug through one of the bags we brought. I watched him pull out various containers of food. When all of them were out, he opened them. There was Greek salad, potato salad, grilled cheese sandwiches, and two jars filled with lemonade.

"I would strongly suggest not to drop any of this and to hope for no wind for a good half hour." He said. I shook my head as I smiled at him, reaching out the food. He gave me my half and perched himself at the edge of my chair. I brought my legs closer to my body so he could have more room and he complied by moving closer.

"Of course, Chef Robin," I teased lightly as I ate part of his grilled cheese sandwich. "Mmm, this is really good. My boyfriend can cook." Robin looked down sheepishly before shrugging. I nudged him with my foot.

"You never told me you could cook." I said quietly, tasting the salads. They were just as good as the grilled cheese sandwich. Robin sighed, picking at his food. I stared at him patiently while eating. Robin stayed quiet as he looked towards the ocean. The moment began to turn uncomfortable. I moved the half-eaten food aside and scooted closer to him. I touched his arm gently. He didn't looked at me. He only stared at the ocean stretched in front of us. I leaned my head on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"You can tell me." I reassured him quietly. He lifted his hand and stroked my arm.

"I know." He whispered. I looked at him. He looked lost, confused. I frowned as the air around us became tense and heavy. He sighed.

"I learned how to cook a few years back." He said. "It was a few years after my parents died. I was going through puberty, which meant that me and Bruce were always at odds. Dinner was more of a battlefield than a time I could eat, so I wouldn't. After a few weeks of starving myself at night, I couldn't take being hungry anymore. I would wait till around eleven or so at night when Bruce and Alfred were asleep and go down to the kitchen. Some days, Alfred wouldn't make anything I liked so I would make it myself.

"I began getting use to eating late at night so I wouldn't be so hungry, therefore not as hell-bent on finding something to eat immediately. As I got use to all this, I began getting curious. What could I make in that hour I was down there? What could I do different? What can I make that would taste better than when Alfred makes it? So I started dragging out the old family cookbooks and started modifying the recipes.

"I kept it up for two months, thinking that nobody knew about it. That it was my own secret. Nobody but me would ever know. And I liked that. It's not something I want a career in or a secret dream of mine to become a chef and all that but I would say it was a nice hobby. Something that helped me realize that my life didn't really suck like I thought it did.

"One night I'm about to make a chicken pot pie. Everything's normal: Bruce and Alfred are asleep, the kitchen is quiet for the most part and I'm relaxed. There's nothing different. So imagine my surprise when I turn around after putting the food in the oven and Bruce is sitting at the counter in his robe, holding his newspaper, staring at me. I jump, like, thirty feet in the air-" I chuckled and he flashed a quick smile at me before continuing-"I'm thinking I'm about to get in trouble and get yelled at when he asked me 'What are you making?' Now me, I'm looking at him like he's crazy. Isn't he supposed to be giving me a lecture about being down here instead of in bed or something?

"'Um…Chi-chicken pot, um, pot pie.' I said, clearly scared for my life-Bruce can be very intimidating when he wants to be-and he just sits back and nods. He then opens his paper and starts reading. I'm staring at him, waiting for him to stop being calm and yell or scream or something, _anything_ other than just sit there and read. I didn't even realize I was waiting until the timer beeped for the food. I took it out and placed it on the stove to cool.

"He said 'you must have been very hungry.' I tell him yeah, I was. We don't talk as I get my plate and get a slice or when I got him a plate and put some on his. He looked surprised but didn't comment. We ate silently. After he got done eating, he washed his plate, mumbled goodnight, and went back to sleep. I didn't know what to say so I just told him goodnight. I was so confused about what just happened, I didn't even know what to think.

"The next morning, it was back to normal. He would get on me about something and I would argue with him. I wouldn't really eat at dinner and I would cook at night. And every few nights, he would come down to the kitchen. He would read his paper as I cooked and we would eat silently. It was routine. In a weird way, I felt myself growing closer to him through those silent dinners. He wasn't confusing or demanding or anything else…he was just Bruce, one of my favorite people in the world. The guy that took my in and, though I didn't admit, looked at as a father.

"One night I asked him how he knew I was in the kitchen at night. I made sure everything was put as it was the night before so no one would suspect anything but I knew that somehow, someway, he found out. He always knew about stuff like that. He gave this are-you-serious look and told me 'Boy, I knew you were down here in this kitchen every night for weeks before I came down here. I could smell the food up the hall. Honestly, it always made me hungry. The night I came down here, I got so hungry that I had to see what you were doing.' And I remember smiling as he said all this. I don't really know why but I walked over and hugged him. At the time, I've hugged Bruce only so many times so I figured it must have been weird for him. But he hugged me back and after that, we were always in the kitchen.

"Eventually, I started doing more stuff during the day and I got too tired to really do anything at night so I stopped cooking for a couple of nights a week. Then it became weeks at a time until I didn't cook at all anymore. I mean, I still do occasionally, when I'm frustrated or can't sleep, and every now and then Bruce will come down to eat with me.

"Just like with your dad, it helps me remind me of who he really is. He's not a hard ass. He just doesn't want to lose me. And it reminds me, that despite all the unforgivable things I've done, he still loves me." He looked me with a small smile. "Like you." I smiled before kissing him gently. He turned so we were face-to-face and he could wrap his arms around me.

"I love you." I told him. "Despite everything that's happened. And I'll still love you no matter what."

"Usually after people say that, something happens to make a person regret that statement." I pressed my forehead to his and held him to me. I looked at him with all the love I felt for him.

"I won't say that I'll always like you or want to be around you. Or that we would truly be together for the rest of our live." I told him honestly. His eyes flickered away from mine before looking back at me. I didn't miss the flash of hurt I saw in them. I stroked his face gently. "But I do know that I'll love you, that you'll always be my first. Whether you like it-" I kissed his forehead. "-or not." He smiled, turning his face into my palm and kissed.

"I doubt I'll ever do that." I shrugged before leaning back.

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't." I winked at him. "We'll see." And as he smiled, I wondered where the sunlight was coming from the sun or him.

Robin and I spent the rest of the day playing and laughing in the water until the sun began to set. Then we went back to the beach chairs for dinner (he made spaghetti!). As it got cooler, I dried myself off before putting on sweets and a light jacket. Robin put on shorts with a black hoodie and we started to walk along the beach and started asked each other odd ball questions for the rest of the night, like we did when we first met.

"What's your favorite car?" Robin asked me.

"My Aero." I answered without thinking twice. "But I might need to go shopping for new ones soon."

"Yeah, that's what it is," he said sarcastically. I chuckled and he kissed my temple. "Shopping." I shrugged as we walked hand-in-hand on the beach, just outside the reach of the water.

"I'm not saying it's right but I won't lie and say it's not fun." I sat down on the sand. Robin sat behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I sighed, settling into his arms. "Once I start my own car company, I won't have to do it anymore. It'll be _my_ designs, _my_ cars…I won't ever have to steal again." He tightened his arms around me.

"You'll make it." He told me quietly. We were quiet as we watched the sunset for a moment. The water shimmered under the orange light of the sun. The sky was orange, pink, and purple as it started to fade into blue-black. Tiny pinpoints of stars began to show.

"What's your favorite 'I will never tell my parents I like this' song?" I felt Robin laugh as he heard my question.

"Hmm…I guess I would have to say Frank Sinatra 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams'"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. My mom use to love really old jazz so she would always play it around the house. It used to drive me crazy but as I kept listening to it, I started liking it. I never told her but I think she knew. She always had this small, knowing smile when turned the song on and watched me. She wouldn't say anything. She would just grab my hand and make me dance with her. She and Bruce had that in common. They were both intuitive like that, like they knew all of your deep, dark secret but would never tell, as if it was their secret, too…

"It was like they were halves of one person. I could tell that even when I was younger. They could survive without the other but it was…harder for them to do it. It was harder for them to smile, to work, to do everything. I told my mom that once and she said 'Mr. Bruce and I are two separate people whose arms only fit each other's. We held each other and after that, despite everything that has happened, our arms still stretched towards the others. It hurts when we're apart but it's okay. Some loves are meant to last only for a moment. But that moment…it's worth anything. This doesn't mean I don't care about your dad but it means that sometimes it's okay to love more than one person…that it's okay for me to love Bruce, too.' " He looked down at me with a quiet, somber smile.

"What do you think she meant?" I asked him softly.

"You can't help who you love. If it's right, than it's right; doesn't matter how much you care about someone else." He pressed his forehead to mine. "I didn't understand what she meant back then, but now I think I do." I cracked a soft smile at him before kissing him quickly. I snuggled into his arms once more before breathing in the sea air.

"What about you? What's your favorite 'I'll never tell my parents' song?"

"'The Makings of You' by Curtis Mayfield." I answered automatically with a sigh as I laid my head on his chest.

"Wow. I would've never guessed that." I chuckled.

"Yeah, most people wouldn't." I said. "Back when my mom and dad were struggling, every once in a while, something would go wrong and it was something my dad did-I never knew what exactly-but he would always tuck me in before going to the kitchen, where my mom always goes when she's upset, and he would turn on that song. I remember peeking out the door at night and seeing him hold out her hand.

"It might have taken the first verse. It might have the first verses, chorus, and the instrumental right before the song ended but it didn't matter. He always waited for her to take his hand. And she would always take it. She always stood up and she always let him hold her. And they would dance, as the song repeated over and over. And I would always fall asleep to it…" I looked at the fading horizon as I let the memory wash over me.

"I hope that works if you get mad at me." He said, teasing me. I looked at him and laughed a bit.

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't. We'll see." I reassured him, sighing into the night as the last of the sun began to fade over the horizon. I felt myself drifting away from the moment with only Robin's arms holding to the ground. My only anchor to the world…

"_Add a little sugar/honeysuckle and /a great big expression of happiness/Boy, you couldn't miss_…" I closed my eyes as Robin sang my old lullaby softly in my ear as he held me tight as the sun faded and the stars came out. "_With a dozen roses/such would astound you/the joy of children laughing around you/these are the makings of you/and it's true/the makings of you…_"

* * *

I slammed my locker closed as I listened to students who passed by, talking about their "amazing" spring break. There were other lockers closing and the chatter of daily chaos echoed around me as everybody came to the same depressing conclusion: it's not a holiday anymore.

After our day on the beach, Robin and I went back to the house. We didn't make love for hours on end (that was the night before). Last night …we just lay in each other's arms, holding the other tight. When we woke up, pretending that this wasn't the last time we would see each other like that for two months, we ate pancakes with orange juice, playing around and talking. But like Cinderella, neither of us could stop midnight from coming.

Or noon in this case.

I packed my bags inside my car. I would be driving back to Gotham by myself and Robin would stay at the beach house; he would leave tomorrow. Robin stood beside me as I got ready to leave with look of disappointment and plain sadness written over his face. I tried not to look at it too long. I didn't want to remember him like that. I wanted to remember the goofiness of his attitude, the easy smile…the look I his eyes when he said he loved me. I looked at the ocean behind me with longing and realization.

I was going back to the world now.

And I hated it.

I let out a pained sigh as I turned away from it, feeling the danger and fear of going back to Gotham begin to rise up for the first time in a week. I looked at my bags with a blurry eyes as I checked to see if I had everything. With more force than I thought it would take, I closed the trunk, the sound echoing in my mind as I realized that my vacation was over. I blinked back more tears as I turned to look at Robin. He looked heartbroken as he saw the tears in my eyes. I opened my mouth to say goodbye but he didn't let me get that far.

He grabbed my shoulders and crushed his lips to mine. His lips moved against mine in a hungry, possessive way. My eyes rolled back a bit as took in the feeling of him kissing me so deeply, drowning in the feeling. I tightened my arms around him, holding on to the moment just as desperately as he was. My fingers twisted into his hair, pulling him as close to me as possible. But it wasn't enough and I knew that we could've stayed like that for hours, days, years…and it would never be enough.

I felt a tear escape my eye as our lips stilled and I pulled away. He reluctantly let me go, stepping back. He watched as I climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door close. I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I looked out the rearview mirror. Our eyes met for one burning moment before I looked away and began to drive away. Half of me-more than half, really-begged me to turn around and stay forever but the growing smaller by the minute logical side me knew I had to go back. So I alternated being watching the road and looking at Robin as he grew smaller and smaller, until I couldn't see him anymore.

When I drove into the empty driveway later that evening, Karen was waiting on the doorstep. She jumped up and stalked over to the car. I sighed before cutting the engine off and getting out.

"I'm glad you finally decided to show up." She said, noting sounding glad or happy at all. "Where were you? You had me worried sick and no, a voicemail saying 'I'm fine. I'll be back in a week.' Is not reassuring!" I ignored Karen as I got my bags out the trunk, glad Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann weren't here to hear her screaming. Then again, she probably wouldn't be screaming of they were here.

Still, I was grateful they weren't.

I slammed the trunk closed as Karen continued to lecture, before leaning back on it.

"Where's Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann?"I asked, interrupting her. She scowled at me.

"They wanted me to tell you that decided to have a quick family trip to the lake and are staying overnight. You are welcomed to drive up there but they figured you would be tired and would want to house to yourself for a bit."

And just when I thought I couldn't love those two anymore that I did. I moved towards the house and she followed.

"But that is not the point! The point is-" The door to the house opened, revealing Roy. He gave Karen a withering look.

"Karen, that's enough." He said. She opened her mouth to protest but he gave her a pointed look and motioned to the inside of the house. She let out a growl of frustration as she stomped inside the house. I looked him gratefully.

"Well, it's looks like I don't have to find my keys now." I said, motioning to the door he picked. I tried to go inside but he blocked my way. He pointed to the steps and I let out a tired sigh as I sat down on the doorstep. Roy grabbed my bags and threw them inside before closing the door. He sat down beside.

"I really hope this the last reckless thing you do in a while." He said. If I didn't know Roy, I would he was calm, nonchalant. But I knew him and I heard the underlying anger in his words. I looked at him and saw the traces of worry behind the anger and frustration in his eyes. He rubbed his face. "You are a really stressful person to be around, you know?" I shrugged but my voice still cracked as I spoke.

"Is it always this hard?" I asked him quietly, knowing he would know what I meant. He shook his head, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"Sometimes but not usually," he said, looking up at me. "But not about your life was really easy." I let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob.

Roy watched me carefully as I bit my lip, trying to hold the tears back. He wrapped his arm around me as the tears escaped anyway. I put my head to his chest and gave in to the tears that burned my throat and stained his shirt. He didn't say anything as he held me against. No words of reassurance, no funny stories…no words to give me false hope. Nothing. He was silent as he let me release the unavoidable grief I was holding.

And somehow it was better that way.

I heard someone slam a locker close next mine, bringing me back to the present. Jinx on them with her usual smirk. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and walk away. That would be too easy. And Jinx hated easy.

"Well, look whose back." She said, feigning a sweet, innocent tone. "You had a good break?"

"Any break with you not breathing down my neck is good." I told her, not missing a beat. I pulled out my textbook for class before turning to her fully. She watched me with a calculating look, her eyes narrowed. Her posture seemed…defensive. I took a step back from her. "Is there something you want?"

"You haven't heard, have you?" I stayed silent as she stood up. I started to walk to class and she fell in step with me. "Over the break I ran into princess over there-"

"By princess, I'm guessing you mean Terra." I looked over at her, looking for the slightest giveaway of anything. But nothing faltered. Her face didn't change, neither her voice or her stride did as she stayed in step with me.

"Exactly." She said. "She wanted to try and settle the score. Unfortunately for us, there were too many cops around. And I had an idea." We stopped in front of my first class. "I'm graduating soon and the last thing I want around are loose ends. So me and Terra made a deal. Northside vs. Southside. Me against her. Once and for all…at least for me." I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"So it's, what, a rumble?" I asked her incredulously. She gave me a withering look.

"This is not _The Outsiders_ or the 1960's." she said. "It's the 21st century and guns are optional." She told me with a cruel smirk. I watched as she started to walk away.

"When?" I asked her.

"Saturday. 2nd to last week of school." She said without slowing down.

"Jinx," I called. She paused, turning to me. "Cutting it kind of close to graduation, don't you think?" She gave me a cruel smile and though I've seen worst and had bigger threats against me, I couldn't help the cold fear that I felt at that moment..

"All the more reason to try and stay alive." She said. Without another word, she turned and disappeared. I stayed there, frozen by her words. I couldn't help but feel that despite the normalcy of her actions, there was something more to the story. That this was more than just settling a score with Terra.

That I wasn't the only not telling a full story…


	26. When It All Falls Down

_When It All Falls Down_

You know that feeling you have when you know something was going to happen? I had it. It didn't make sense: everything was normal. Jinx was normal, Terra was normal. Robin and I were normal (well except for…you know…). The gang was doing its usual crime. Monty, Karen, and them would visit me. The twins were growing up. Justin was the going through puberty. Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann were better than ever. Things were good. Better, actually.

Every.

Thing.

Was…normal.

But I felt _it. _The feeling that something was wrong. That something bad, something terrible, would happen. Most days I could ignore it. I could smile or scowl and nobody would notice. Even Robin didn't really notice. He would only ask occasionally if I was okay. I'd say yes.

I didn't tell him how almost every night, whether I was alone or he was holding me, I could feel my heartbeat pulsing right under my skin, like a terrified trapped prisoner. I didn't hint to Karen that I had a bad feeling every time I entered my school. I didn't give Roy a chance to really look at me because I knew that with one look, he would know. They would all know. And as the days faded from April to May to June, as school stopped being about spring break and went to prom to graduation, the feeling grew.

And I didn't tell anybody that I was terrified. I knew something was going to happen…

And I knew that it was too late to stop it.

"Hello…Earth to Raven." Robin waved his hand in front of my face and swatted it away. He laughed as he leaned back on me. I snuggled into my pillows as I looked out the window. Robin was quiet. We usually didn't talk much when he stayed over Sunday mornings. Since Vic's death, Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike and the kids go to church every other Sunday. I refuse, so they let me stay home. I was glad for the excuse to sleep in and enjoy who I was sleeping next to.

I smiled a bit before I thought back to the weird dream I had. I ran my fingers through Robin's hair, silently contemplating. I felt him tap my hand and I looked down. He heaved himself off of me.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "You've been acting kind of strange ever since we got back and not in the 'I snuck off with my boyfriend and got away with it' kind of way. And it's only gotten worst as graduation gets closer. What is it? And don't tell me everything's okay." He told me. I looked at him, not sure what to say.

"Tell me." He pleaded. I sighed, before looking away. He leaned back on me and I ran my fingers through his hair once again.

"It's just…" I shook my head.

"Is this about the fight next weekend?" he asked. I looked at the calendar. There was only one week left until the big fight between Northside and Southside. As I looked at the date, I couldn't help the way my pulse began to beat right under my skin. I bit my lip, holding back the worry, the fear.

"I had a dream." I told him. "It was a big blur really but some things stuck out. A dark alley with a streetlight. Glass breaking…a warehouse. Then I heard a gunshot. Saw the person who did, except their face was hidden. There was a fire and then…" I trailed off as I thought of it.

_I was watching Pocahontas with Justin. But instead of John Smith and Pocahontas, it was me and __Robin__. I watched as we met, talking, fell in love…then I watched as everything fell apart. __Robin_ _got shot. But instead of being okay, he pulled his hand away and blood covered it. I jumped to his side. I tried to stop it but nothing I did worked. Then it was too late, as I watched __Robin_ _get the look of a dead man in his eyes. A searing pain entered my chest. A heart pounding, blood curdling scream escaped from my lungs._

I flinched at the age old nightmare. I haven't had since all those months ago on a rainy day. Seeing it again only heightened my fear. I looked back at the calendar.

"It was a nightmare." Robin lifted himself up until he could look me in the eye.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. His eyes pierced into mine, looking for the truth. I reached out and touched his face. I held stroked his face gently, not looking away as I answered him.

"No."

* * *

I walked through the park side-by-side with Jinx. I was tense by her side. I didn't like how she was so close to where I lived, like it was in danger by her presence. I looked Jinx up and down. I could take her if I had to, but she knew too much and I was too involved to know I would get away clean. So I just settled with walking beside her, trying to look nonchalant.

"Are we ready for Saturday?" I asked her, pausing on the sidewalk. It was Wednesday, three days before the big fight and I couldn't help but ask about it. Every day my terror grew and I didn't know how to stop it. The only thing that placated me most days were the answers Jinx gave me about how much closer Northside was to being ready for it. She turned to me before coming to a stop. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I need to work out a couple of details with Kori tomorrow but other than that we're ready." She told me with ease. I looked her up and down.

Gone was Jinx in mourning. The girl that stood in front of me wasn't empty with tears trails constantly on her face. Instead, she was the confident, cocky leader that I've grown to know. This should've comforted me, should've made me think she was starting to get over this whole mess. But a part of my-maybe my intuition-knew not to relax. Jinx seemed like the person who would let this kind of thing go. She stopped crying so she could focus on what she had to do. And despite knowing I could beat her, I knew that focused Jinx was dangerous.

I felt my neck prickle at the thought of what she would do.

"You seem nervous, Raven." Jinx said coolly. I narrowed my eyes a bit before looking away.

"I just have a feeling that a lot of people aren't going to walk away from this." I said, turning to her with a hard look. "I'm not trying to be one of them."

"Not everybody is supposed to." Jinx reminded my sharply. "That's the point of it. As far as you making it out alive, well," Jinx stepped closer to me and straightened my jacket. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." I tensed as she smirked at me, confirming what I've known all along.

She didn't care if I made it out alive. She might even prefer that I don't.

"What is this really about?" I hissed, pushing her away. She laughed as she stumbled back a couple steps before sighing.

"I already told you, Raven. I've been telling you for months." She looked me right in my eye with a knowing look. I glared into them but I could feel my heart speed up. "This is me fixing a problem that I should've stopped months ago."

Jinx stepped back and walked off without me. I watched her as she got into her car, Royal's old one, and drove off. I felt the same familiar panic beating under my skin, like a trapped thing held as a desperate prisoner.

_Please be talking about Terra,_ I begged. _Don't let it be about me…_

Robin slammed his locker closed, frustrated. It had been a long day filled with boring classes and stressful tests. All he wanted to do was go home and take a nap until it was safe for him to go see Raven. He sighed as he counted the days. Only ten more days until it was safe. Ten more days until he could get out of here with Raven. Just ten more days…

But a lot can happen in ten days. He knew that better than anyone and he grew concerned. Something's been wrong with Raven lately and he didn't know what. At first he chalked it up to worrying about the fight on Saturday. She always worried about things like that. But it usually wore off by the end of the first week.

Not this time. He could feel it when she slept beside him. He saw it in the way she talked. Sensed it when she touched him. She was always quiet, always thinking about something. Her mind barely stayed with her when she was around him. Instead, she just ran her fingers through his hair trying to calm herself. When she reached for him, it was no longer exciting like it was when they first got home. Instead, it altered between hesitant and urgent, only seeking out comfort to sooth away a fear he didn't understand.

What scared him most is the fact that she wasn't even sure what she was afraid of. She just was.

_And how do you fight against a fear when you don't even know what it _is_?_ Robin questioned himself. He sighed as he touched his forehead to the cool metal.

"Long day?" He gritted his teeth before turning around.

"I don't feel good today, Terra. Get someone else to do whatever." Robin snapped. Terra stood behind him with a hand on her hip and a cutting look.

"Who said I need you tonight?" she said, shaking her head. "You and your assumptions. You know what they say about assuming."

"Honestly, you've made an ass out of the both of us enough times for it to really count." Robin said with a hard look. "And while I'm being honest, I might as well tell you that I don't feel like dealing with you or any bullshit you have planned for the rest of the year."

"You know I've excused your behavior because of your cousin but if you think you're getting away with that-"

"You don't own me!" Robin exclaimed. Terra stepped back and looked around. They were drawing stares once again. She swore under her breath before turning back to him. This has been happening more often now that Terra figured out his betrayal. The truth hardened her so that it was all willpower that didn't let herself him kill him on the spot every time she saw him.

"I'm still your leader and you will respect me." Terra said in a low tone so the crowd around them wouldn't hear. Robin rolled his eyes at her. She gave him a withering look as he looked right through her.

"Trust me when I say the amount of respect I show you isn't even a quarter of what I really feel for you." He pushed past her as she felt slapped by his words. She knew she meant practically nothing to him. But for him to say it…She reached out and grabbed his arm.

"We're not finished." She hissed. He looked at her arm incredulously before ripping her hand off his arm. He grabbed her forearm and slammed her into the lockers. She bit her lip to hold back a gasp of pain. Robin looked right through her as he spoke and the look chilled her to the bone.

"Yes, we are. And whether you like it or not, I won." He said in a low, dangerous voice. Terra tried to look unfazed but couldn't help the panic and embarrassment she felt. Here he was, in public, demeaning her again. He let her go and she stumbled to the ground. He looked down at her as if she was nothing before walking away. Terra stood up quickly, avoiding the gaze of everyone else in the hallway as she watched Robinwalk away from her.

"You haven't won." She said to reassure herself. "You'll get what you really deserve. And when you do, I'll be the winner."

* * *

Auntie Ann was bustling around the house as I played with the twins on the floor. The gym was hosting a national competition for boxing. It was some kind of championship but I wasn't sure. I didn't really want to think about boxing. If I thought of Vic, I would think of California, if I thought of California…I felt pinprick of tears for my late friend. I felt a small pang of remorse as I thought about him. I wondered what he would be doing now if he wasn't…gone. It was a blurry image. I was frustrated at how hard it was to see Vic's face in my head. How could I start forgetting it so soon?

"…Raven are you listening to me?" I snapped my head up. Auntie Ann was looking down at me with her hands on her hip. I smiled at her sheepishly.

"Sorry." She shook her head before smiling down at me.

"I was saying that your uncle and I would be back here around midnight. Get the twins to bed by 8. Justin by 10. There are leftovers in the fridge. Don't stay up too late." I nodded.

"Got it." I saw her eyes softened as she looked down at me. She leaned down and touched my face gently with the back of her hand. I closed my eyes as the touch. She lifted my chin and I looked at her.

"My baby's almost graduating." She said her voice thick with tears. I fought not to look away under her gaze. My laugh was shaky as I grabbed her hand and held it.

"Relax, Auntie, you can save your tears." I said, trying to lighten the mood. "The graduation's next week."

"I know but," she blinked back more tears, "It's just nice to see that the beautiful baby girl from all those years ago grew until into a wonderful young lady…I'm so proud of you, Raven." I swallowed the unease I was feeling from her words. If only she knew what I was really doing…

"Thanks, Aunnie." I said quietly. She kissed my forehead and looking at me one last time before leaving. I rubbed my temples as I felt more and more guilt crash on top of me.

"Well, there's one thing I need to take to the graduation." Justin said from the couch. "Kleenex." I scowled at him.

"Shut up." I mumbled.

"Relax, Raven. She always gets like this before big events." Justin moved from his seat on the couch and sat next to me.

"But this isn't just any big event." I looked him in the eye. "It's graduation. And that changes everything."

"Yeah, yeah," Justin said nonchalantly, waving it away. "I get the whole thing. You wait 13 years just so you can get a piece of paper saying 'hey I was smart enough to survive high school.' Then you go to college and life your whole life. At first you'll cal all the time then it's less and less and eventually you'll move on and we might see you, what, once or twice every few years. You'll live your own life." Justin's voice got quieter as he spoke. I looked at him and notice the slight shine of his eyes.

"You say it as if I would forget you." I murmured. He shrugged.

"Won't you? I mean you'll be on your own, traveling the world...just like your dad." I ignored the sting of him implying I would be like _him_ and put my arm over Justin's shoulder, pulling him to me.

"I've traveled the word." I gave him a knowing look. "It's kinda small. And I'll never be like my dad." He laughed a bit before sighing. He gave me a look of sad but accepting look.

"I'll miss you, Raven." I hugged him tightly.

"I'll miss you too."

A few of hours later, when Auntie Ann and Uncle Mike came home and everybody was asleep, I was wrapped up in Robin's arms. I stared at the wall; my head swirled with Auntie Ann and Justin's words-confession really. I felt Robin shift behind me.

"You still awake?" He whispered.

"Just thinking." I said. He was silent but I knew he was waiting for me to continue. "Everybody is so happy that I'm graduating. So happy and sad. I feel so guilty." I turned to look at him. "Is this what all the parents are saying to their kids, having no idea that their kids aren't going to come back? Because of a gunfight? How can I look at my family, talking about graduation as if I'm not about to break their hearts? As if there's no chance that I won't come out of that fight…"

"Hey," Robin looked at me with an alarmed expression. "Nothing's going to happen. I'm making sure of it. It'll only be for an hour at most before the cops scatter everybody. Then it's laying low until graduation. Nothing's going to happen."

"A lot can happen in an hour." I said my voice hollow. Vic's face showed up perfectly in my head. Robin bit his lip, thinking the same thing. His eyes got a protective edge as he looked down at me. He kissed my cheek, tightening his hold on me.

"Nothing's going to happen." He said firmly, reassuring me the best he could. I faced the wall again, hoping he didn't see in my eyes how his words didn't mean anything to me.

How I still didn't believe them.

* * *

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as I parked in front of the Northington House. I checked my reflection one last time to make sure my face didn't give away anything. Scowl, check; Glare, check; composure…not so much. I sighed as I cut off my engine but didn't get out yet. All I wanted to do was turn the car around and press the gas as I drove home. But I didn't. I stayed strong and…and why do I feel like I'm lying to myself?

I got out the car before I could dwell on it too long. The night was quiet and eerie. I looked at the old, abandoned house. It looked haunted as the small crescent of the moon shined down on. The trees around it looked like claws trying to grab you and drag you off into the night. The wind whipped around me, a blast of winter despite it being spring.

I tried to steady my heartbeat as I crossed the yard to the door. I could already hear the gang behind the door, getting ready for the night. If I didn't know any better, I would assume everybody was getting ready for a party instead of a midnight brawl. I opened it and I felt my face relax into the cold mask I usually wear as I spotted Kori across the room. She waved excitedly before bouncing over to me.

"Aren't you excited?" she said.

"Yes, I'm ecstatic to run off to my death." I said dryly. She laughed as she eased me into a chair nearby.

"Oh, come on, Raven," She said. "They're weak now. We're gonna win. And when we do, we'll run everything." I looked at her. How could she be so confident about tonight?

"So you're telling me you're not nervous at all." I said, looking at her. The excitement drained out of her face and she grimaced with a shrug.

"I'm not saying that." She said quietly. She pulled out her gun, drumming her fingers on it. "But I'm a daughter of an international arms dealer. I've been expose to worst than this and been shooting since I could talk." She set the gun down on the table in front of her. "If it's a firefight, I'll win." She smiled a bit but it faded as soon as it appeared. I let out a deep breath and looked away. Someone cleared their throat behind us and we looked up. Sienna was standing at the back of the room.

"Alright listen up," Jinx commanded. "We're meeting Southside in the back end of Woodson Park. I want half of y'all to circle around and get behind Southside when they get there. The other half stays with me on the forefront. Nobody touches Terra but me. The fight starts when you hear the first gunshot, am I clear?" A chorus of agreement rose. Jinx raised her hand and it became silent once more. "If anybody gets caught, use the usual excuse. Don't let it slip that this was planned. We leave in ten."

The noise from before came back as Jinx turned to leave. She approached me and Kori, pointing out the both of us.

"You two are riding with me." She said.

"What about my car?" I said. Jinx looked at me, irritated by the question but I didn't care. If the cops came around, whether or not I was still alive, I would be one of the first ones caught.

"Let Kori drive it or something. I don't care." She said annoyed. "Either way, I want one of you two with me." Kori and I looked at each other. I felt my pulse right under my skin. There was little doubt in my mind that Jinx wouldn't mind seeing me dead tonight.

I don't know if Kori saw that in my face or not but it didn't stop me from being thankful for her saying, "I'll ride with you. I'm the better shooter anyway." Jinx rolled her eyes before stalking out the house. Kori turned around and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled at her briefly before settling into the usual calm I felt before going into any dangerous situation.

After waiting a few more minutes, I walked out to my car and got it. Instead of starting it, I lifted up the passenger seat and pulled the gun I got all those months ago. I barely used it but kept it loaded. I clicked on the safety before putting it in my boot.

_Just to make sure._ I reassured myself. _Just to make sure._

I parked a few blocks down and enter the park from the back way. Woodson Park wasn't a park really. It was more like a concrete play ground complete with chain-link fences and graffiti. There were a few streetlamps that lined the outside of the park, providing the only light, and very few places to hide. I could barely see a few feet in front of me, much less the people in black near me. At least I knew I wouldn't have to worry about a shadow killing me. Or at least for the most part…

I saw Kori soon enough and Jinx was by her, not listening to whatever story Kori was telling her. I walked up beside her. She didn't seem surprised to see me. When was she? A few minutes later, the crowd started coming in. Northside poured deeper and deeper into the park that by the time I saw Southside, I saw what Kori meant.

Instead of wearing their usual white, they wore dark grey to try and blend in but it didn't hide how much smaller their numbers were. The powerful gang I saw when I first arrived to Detroit had weakened into the small crowd in front of me, struggling to keep its power. Terra was in the front. Robin stood a few people behind her. I met his eyes once before looking away. I couldn't risk looking at him when the two people we were hiding from were in front of us. Jinx stepped forward with a sneer.

"Glad you weren't too prissy to meet me tonight." She said. Terra scowled before stepping closer to Jinx.

"Let's just get this over with. And when I'm done with you," Terra smirked. "We'll finally be even." Jinx smirked and at the moment they looked like the twins they were born as before Jinx's smirk faded and she pushed Terra back. Terra stepped back into her gang. Jinx raised her hand. It was dead silent for a few moments, swallowing us whole. Even my heartbeat was drowned out by it.

_BANG!_

The crowd scattered into the park.

I ran deeper into the park away from the lights. Behind me the sound of gunshots and fights rose in a deadly cacophony. I rushed away from all of it and heard someone following me. I looked behind me and saw it was a Southside girl, gun in hand. I skid to a quick stop and turned. She tried to stop but she was too close. I slammed my fist into her face. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

I smirked before crouching to the ground as more bullets whizzed pass my head. I pulled out my gun and shot a couple rounds into the dark. A moan or two sounded in the dark. I wasn't sure if they were dead or not because I was already running. My heart was about to beat out my chest and I could barely think straight. I was terrified. I hid behind a bench near the front of the park. The sounds of the fight were quieter there. I looked around me.

The park was only a few blocks long which meant if I ran fast enough I could circle around and get to my car without anyone noticing. I could escape before anything could really go wrong.

I was about to stand when I felt a hand clamp at the back of my neck. I scratched the hand but it held on tight. The person kicked my gun away before I could grab it.

I scrambled to reach into my boot for my knife as the guy lifted me up to my feet. I was pushed into the chain-link fence. I was breathing heavily as I saw a group of Southside guys surrounding me. The one in front smiled at me hungrily.

"Look guys," he said. "We got ourselves a runner." He grabbed my neck once again, bringing his face closer to me. "You know what we do to runners?" I didn't answer him as I pushed my leg up so I could reach my boot. He shook me.

"Answer me!" he demanded. I banged my head into his and he staggered back a couple of steps. He looked at me livid, opening his mouth. I didn't give him a chance as I stabbed him with my knife. I ran back towards the crowd and I heard the others following me. I could only see a couple of feet in front of me so by the time I saw an arm shoot out to grab me, it was too late. I opened my mouth to scream but a hand clamped over my mouth. The person pulled us down, out of sight as the others rushed past.

I relaxed as I felt Robin's arms wrap around me. He loosened his hold over my mouth.

"Get out of here." he said low in my ear. We flinched as more gunshots rang out.

"What is it?" I asked him, knowing he wouldn't risk us being caught together like this unless it was urgent. He shrugged.

"Something's about to happen but I don't know what. The back entrance to the park is open. Stay low to the ground." He pressed a gun into my hands. I looked at him and saw fear in his eyes. "And hurry." He kissed my cheek before letting my go and disappearing into the fray. I began to move towards the back entrance.

Halfway there, I was pulled up. I tensed, ready to attack, when I saw Jinx's face in the dim light. I still punched her for good measure.

"Ouch!" she said, putting a hand over her eye. "What the hell was that?" I shrugged innocently.

"Had to make sure you were you." I said. She glared at me, already knowing it was a lie.

"Whatever, I saw Terra go out the park. I need you to cover me." I hesitated, thinking about what Robin said, but nodded to look like I wasn't trying to leave early. She ran out and I followed. She led me to an abandoned, blocked up warehouse. The door was already open. We slowed to a walk as we entered. At first my heart had calmed but something seemed off as we walked deeper into the building. I looked behind me with the feeling that someone was watching me. Something was off.

" Jinx," I said. "Terra's not here. We should go." I could hear my voice waver and my fear spiked when I heard Jinx laugh before turning around.

"Don't worry. She and your boyfriend are meeting us on the other side of the house in the alley." Jinx said with a smirk. I froze at her words, too shocked to protest. "You didn't think I would find out?" I stepped back as looked at me, smug and outraged.

She knew.

Jinx peered into the space behind me.

"Get her." I felt hands clamp down on me and broke out of their grips easily. I kicked and punched but I saw more people joining the fight. I tried to punch one near me but someone grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back. Another kicks my legs from under me. Two held me down to the ground but I still struggled as I realized something. This fight, the preparations, the drama between Terra and Jinx …

It was all a trap.

"Knock her out." Jinx said. I felt a sharp pain from something hitting my head before everything went black.

The first thing I felt when I came back around was a sharp sting across my face. My eyes snapped open and I instantly struggled as I looked around me. I was in an alley next to the warehouse, broken glass on the ground. I struggled to move my arms but two people were holding me. I saw Jinx standing in front of me, smoking. She blew the smoke in my face.

"Glad you're awake, sleepyhead." I was breathing heavily as I looked at her. I felt dizzy, head throbbing from the blow. As the smoke cleared, I tried to launch myself at her but it was useless. Jinx laughed before taking another drag.

"Calm down, traitor. You might wanna save your energy." I looked at her with narrowed eyes. I was scared and enraged at the same time, only letting my anger show. Behind Jinx, I saw more people enter the alley. Jinx turned around irritated. "Took you long enough."

"My bad," Terra said sarcastically. "But my...guest was a bit of a struggle."

Felt my fear grow until I could barely contain it as I saw Robin with a bloody face, struggling as three guys pushed him onto his knees. He caught my eye and I almost gasped when I saw the panic in his eyes.

"Like what you see?" I looked back at Jinx. She had a smug look on her face.

"What are you doing?" I asked her with no emotion.

"I'm fixing that problem I was telling you about." My heart pounded in my ears at her words. She smirked as she ground out her cigarette. "I'll admit you had me fooled for the first few months. But then you started acting funny and I began wondering 'What's wrong with Raven? She seems so different'. With a little patience and, thanks to a few slip ups on your end, here we are."

"What slip ups?" I snapped. I pulled out of my captors grasps. To my surprise, Jinx motioned for them not to touch me. I glared at her. "You have nothing."

She pulled out her phone and tossed it at me. I caught it by reflex. A video was already playing on screen. You could barely see anything but you could make out a guy and a girl, guns pointed at the other. I watched as the guy lowered his gun first and could just make out him saying "I love you." I turned away, no longer needing to see it. There was no denying it now.

We were caught.

"The next time you make a secret dramatic exit, I suggest less of an audience." She said, taking her phone out my hands. "It's a nice movie, don't you think traitor."

"Takes one to know one." I hissed at her. I wasn't sure where the confidence came from but I held on to it tightly.

"Excuse you?" Jinx said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh come on, Jinx. You even said it yourself. Me and you are one in the same. We're practically," My eyes flickered from her to Terra and back as I smirked. "Twins."

Jinx grabbed my arm and pressed the gun to it. I screamed as I felt fire ripping trough me, tearing through my skin to the bone, and was pushed to the ground by the force. I heard Robin beginning to struggle not too far away. I clinched my teeth as I struggled to stand. One of the two people from earlier lifted me so I was back on my feet, tightening their hold on my arm. Another wave of pain rushed through me and I closed my eyes. Jinx grabbed my face, forcing my eyes opened.

"Ah ah, can't have you passing out." She said. She handed Terra the gun. Terra looked determined as she took it. Robin paused in his struggles and I felt pure fear return to me as she aimed it at him.

No.

"Jinx, don't." I said. "Don't do this! Please…Jinx!" She ignored me. I struggled uselessly against the person holding me back, reaching out to Robin as Terra pulled the trigger back.

_I'm too late, _I thought as the bullet shot out and hit Robin in the chest.

"NO!" I exclaimed but it was drowned out by the sirens nearby.

"Jinx, the cops are down the block!" Someone said from behind me.

"Let's go." Jinx said.

"What about these two?" Jinx looked from me to Robin and shrugged with no remorse, as if she's seen this all before. There was nothing special about it.

"There as good as dead." She said. Our captors dropped me and Robin, joining the crowd that was exiting the alley. I stifled a cry of pain and began to crawl towards Robin, feeling too dizzy to stand. As I did, I felt something slick under my hand. I lifted it and saw the red-black color of blood.

Robin's blood.

I rushed over to him and gasped. He was pale and struggling to breathe, as a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. A ring of blood growing in the middle of his chest. I took off my jacket, wincing in pain as I did. I pressed it to his chest, trying to figure out how far the sirens were, hoping they belonged to an ambulance.

"Help!" I tried to scream but it was a feeble sound that was easily drowned out by the siren.

"Raven," Robin said weakly.

"Just relax. You're gonna be okay." I said trying to reassure him but feeling the blood loss of my own wound cause spots to fill my vision. I knew I wouldn't be conscious for much longer. "Just keep breathing." I looked around frantically for some way to help stop Robin's bleeding when I felt him place his hands over mine. I looked down at him.

"Stop," he said, his breathing becoming more and more shallow. Dread and tears filled me when I saw the acceptance on his eyes.

"No!" I snapped. "You're going to be fine! Just hold on, okay?"

"Raven-"

"NO!" I exclaimed. "Can't you see I am trying to save your life?" My voice cracked at the last word. He reached up with a shaky hand to wipe the tears running down my face. I shook my head before laying my head to his chest, sobbing. I cried as I felt Robin grow weaker and weaker under me. He wrapped his arms around me, holding him to me as tight as he could.

The sirens grew louder as they came closer but I didn't pay any attention as the black spots began to fill my vision. I closed my eyes and everything went black once more.


	27. Ripped Apart

** Author's Note:**

I am giving you a fair warning now: there may be many of you readers will be kind of upset at the ending. I understand why and would probably be feeling the same way if I had been reading this but I felt that it needed to end this way. Still, read this chapter and feel free to review and share your honest opinion.

Enjoy!

* * *

_Ripped Apart_

_I was in a dark alley. Jinx was standing in front of me. I yelled at her. She said something and I jumped at her. She pulled out a gun and shot me down. The force of the bullet pinned me to the ground as pain ripped through me. I watched as Jinx walked up to Terra and handed her the gun. Terra looked in front of her and aimed the gun. I squinted my eyes to try and see what. It was a guy on his knees, held down by chains. I couldn't see his face, so I crawled forward. _

_As I got closer, he became more familiar. His face was still in the shadows but his body was familiar to me. For some reason, it made me think of the beach and the ocean. My heart sped up, sensing the danger he was in. Who was he? Why would they hurt him? I didn't know. I just knew I had to try and stop them. I finally got close enough so I could see his eyes. They had a certain spark in them that I remembered._

_Robin._

_Fear froze me as I saw Terra's finger inch closer to the trigger. I stood and tried to run but the ground to turn into quick sand, pulling me down. I tried to scream for them to stop but my words swallowed by something I couldn't see. I was crawling once again, inching closer and closer to Robin, reaching my hand out. He reached out to take mine but in the corner of my eye I saw Terra pull the trigger._

_I was too late._

_And I watched as the bullet shot through Robin, killing him instantly. He looked at me with a dead look in his eyes. _No! _I remember saying but before anyone could hear it, the ground swallowed me whole. I was falling into an abyss. No one could save me. I knew that as the silence pushed down on me, pressing out any sounds that could save me. _

_But somehow, I still let out a blood-curdling scream._

I was still screaming as I woke up. I heard voices around me but I couldn't open my eyes. I felt a dull pain in my arm, reminding me of my nightmare. I clawed at the hands that touched me, trying to hold me down. I couldn't let them take me. Not again. I kicked blindly at them and hit something. The voices were frantic but released me. I tried to move but felt something in my arm. I pulled at it blindly, desperate to be free. It stung as I ripped it out but I didn't care.

I've felt worst.

Just as I opened my eyes, I saw more people coming to the room. Some called my name. I looked at them, barely registering that I knew them before something stuck me and I was pulled back into my nightmare.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I opened my eyes. They were heavy but I didn't want to see black or red anymore. So I forced them open, looking around myself. The room I was in was white, stark with the occasional medical blue here and there. There was a TV but it was off. My throat felt sore, but other than that, there was no real pain. But I knew there should have been. I looked up at the IV next to my bed, following the wires down to my hand. I stared at them confused before tearing off the tape that held the needles in. A hand came down over mine.

"Don't," a soft voice said but I could hear the anguish in it. "It's helps with the pain. And I know you don't want the doctors coming in just yet." I didn't look at my mom. I didn't want to. I just stared at my hand, evidence that my nightmares were real.

"You've been screaming a lot." I looked up at her then. Her eyes were blood shot and shining with tears. Her hair looked limp, her clothes rumpled up. I could see the slight wrinkles in her faces, the worry lines. It made me wonder how long she's been here. What day was it? My mom's gaze darted from me to the IV to anywhere else in the room then back to me.

"Every time you woke up, you would always scream," She told me. I watched a tear fall from her eyes, rolling down her face. "And every time, you tried to get out of bed," She cleared her throat but more tears fell. She wiped them hastily. "The doctors had to sedate you. I'm not sure if you really remember. I hope you don't." She looked at me as if she expected me to say anything. But I didn't. I stared at her silently. I knew I should've felt something. I should have felt scared or guilty or even relieved that I was alive. But I only felt empty. Like a giant hole that was starting to eat away at me. So I didn't speak. My mom looked away, nodding to herself, before cracking me a watery smile.

"You shouldn't have to hear this." She said, her voice cracking as more tears gushed out. She wiped them again but they came strong. She stroked my hair and I almost closed my eyes. "You must be really tired. You should get some sleep." I knew I should've said something as my mom started to break down. I should've said, "I'm sorry." I should've held her, try and talk to her about it.

But I was too stunned by the damage I created. I didn't want to fix. I didn't know how to.

So I leaned back on the pillows and closed my eyes.

The next time I opened my eyes, I saw Roy. He sat in the chair next to my bed, looking irritated and tense. His leg shook while he tapped his fingers impatiently. When he saw that I was awake, he sat back. He still looked agitated but his shoulders we relaxed a bit.

"Where's my mom?" I asked. My voice was still rough and it hurt to talk but I had to know. I had to make sure she didn't abandon me.

"She went to the cafeteria to eat. Poor woman's practically been starving herself." He said his anger evident in his voice. I sat up slowly and stared at my hands again. Roy didn't speak as he continued to watch me. The silence was deafening. It reminded me of my nightmare and I heard my heart sped up.

"So what happened?" I asked him, breaking it. My heart slowed as I heard Roy sigh.

"The police had been patrolling the area with an ambulance because of the fight when they spotted you two in the alley. They patched up your arm temporarily before you bled out. Once they got you here, they did a couple of transfusions before putting you on the IV. A severe flesh wound, they said. Had they waited even two minutes later to check that alley, it would've been too late." I hear Roy's voice get thicker as he spoke, hearing the unshed tears as he said, "You got lucky."

I stared down at my hands once more.

"Is my dad here?" I whispered. My heart sped once again at the strange, unexpected question. My dad was usually the last person I wanted to see in any situation, good or bad. But I wanted him to be, despite knowing he probably wouldn't be. If he was…I shook my head and leaned back. "Forget it. I didn't mean to ask that-"

"He's here." I froze.

My dad was here.

He actually was here…I was torn between some strange happiness that came with relief and anxiety. What would happen? What would he say? I didn't want to think about that.

Unfortunately for me, my mind went to an even worst question. One that I was a little too scared to ask.

"How…" I took a shaky breath, forcing the words out my mouth. "How is he?" I whispered. Roy looked at me with a strange look before shrugging.

"I don't know." He said. "He's stable for now from what I heard but the doctors aren't really sure at this point." I closed my eyes and realized I recognized the look.

It was pity.

Something I've never seen Roy give me.

I felt frustrated and overwhelming tears fill my eyes. I pressed the palm of my hand to my eyes, trying not to cry in front of him. I couldn't let him think I was weak. I needed to be strong. Robin is fine. I'm fine so he has to be fine. I would know if he was, right? I just need to be strong. I need to be strong for the both of us-

And it hit me.

I can't be strong for him. I wasn't even strong enough to be strong for myself. I was weak and tired and hurt and overwhelmed. And if I couldn't be weak with Roy, who could I be weak with? Tears burned my throat to the point where I barely trust myself to speak. I heard Roy sighed.

"Well at least you kept out of trouble for a while." he said mockingly. I looked at him but he wouldn't meet my eye. His eyes shined brightly and I felt more and more guilt pile on me. I'm shocked at how I never thought of Roy's reaction to all this. I treed to think of something to say that would make this better but, just like with mom, my drew a blank. Nothing could make this better.

"I thought…" Roy trailed off, looking lost. "I know I'm not the best of influences but…I thought I could give you enough that you wouldn't do something this _stupid_. That you wouldn't make mistakes like I did. If you had died…" He shook his head as a tear trailed down his face. He breathed a shaky sigh before laughing humorlessly.

"I didn't want to hurt you." I said in a shaky voice that didn't sound like my own. "I never wanted to hurt you but that's all I can do. That's all I know. I hurt my mom. Jinx almost killed me by making me believe her even when I _knew_ she wanted me dead. And now, thanks to all the _stupid_ mistakes I made, Robin could be…" I trailed off giving into the sobs that I was feeling. I covered my eyes, wanting to feel the pain of the nightmares, knowing I deserved it. After a few moments of crying, I felt my bed sink a little and Roy wrapping his arms around me. I cried into his chest, overwhelmed by the pain I felt. I looked up at Roy through the watery blur of my tears.

"I knew some day I would break your heart." I told him. A shocked and pained look overcame his face. I leaned back on his chest and he tightened his hold on me as I continued to cry. He stroked my hair, silent as my words hung heavily in the room. I closed my eyes, letting the motion sooth me until I finally gave into darkness of sleep.

* * *

The next few days, more people visited. My mom was always by side, making someone didn't say something to upset me. Karen and the twins visited with chocolate, hogging the TV and whatnot, acting as if the situation wasn't as bad as it was. Kori came a couple of times, first in tears and then with a get well soon teddy bear before talking about nothing, never expecting input from me. I was glad she did. With them around, I could feel slightly normal. I could forget and get lost in all their dizzying energy. It was comforting.

On the opposite side, Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann's visits brought nothing but tension. I knew all Uncle Mike wanted to do was yell and scream about how stupid I've been, the pain I brought to the family, how I was _that_ close to being dead. But he also knew that saying any of it would upset my mom, so he was always silent during visits. Aunt Ann tried her best to fill the tense silence but too many topics were too sensitive and too many questions were unanswered.

Roy would switch out with my mom when she needed to get some food or had to change at the hotel or when she napped on the other bed in the room. They never left me alone too long.

My dad never came in.

I would see him sometimes, pacing right outside the room through the window. But he never came in. Never even touch the doorknob.

But the most surprising visit was the one that came exactly a week after the incident. I opened my eyes, slowly, blinking twice to clear them up. I jumped at the person I saw next to me. Jinx sat nonchalantly at my bedside.

I sat up, quickly moving away from her to the other side of the bed. I knew it was useless. If she wanted to kill me, she could. There was nobody to sop her. Where's my mom? Where's Roy?

"Where's my mom?" I asked her. She shrugged, crossing her arms.

"She stepped out to give us a moment. She's glad that so many _'_friends' of yours are visiting you. She's probably in the cafeteria or something." I felt my heart starting to beat rapidly.

"Get out." I said, feeling my anger outweighing my fear at the moment.

"No." She said simply, smirking. "Didn't you want to see me?"

"The only place I want to see you is buried alive six feet under!" I exclaimed. "Or gunned down in an alley."

"Like you?" She said. I narrowed my eyes at her, wishing one of the doctors left something that I could hit her with, a spare knife that I could stab her with. _Something!_ "Why can't we let bygones be bygones, Raven? I just came here to tell you that I'm sorry." She said sarcastically. "That and you lost." I glared at her.

"You know what, why don't you and your twin go to hell before I find a way to put you there myself." Jinx's jaw tightened. She came to rushed to my side of the bed and grabbed my neck. I struggled against her hold as she pressed something to my side. I froze.

"I can still kill you, Raven." She said in a low, dangerous tone, pressing the gun further into my side. "If the police weren't already knocking on my door, I would. But I'm not going to jail for you." She smirked. "And, from what I hear, keeping you alive would be much more satisfying." My eyes were widened in shock. She removed her hand from my neck and pulled the gun away from my side, giving me one last smirk, before walking towards the door.

"I don't get it." I said. Jinx stopped with her hand on the doorknob. "You hate her, and you could've killed her a long time ago but you never did. Yet you'll make up a whole fight just to kill me. Seems kind of hypocritical, don't you think?" She looked at me thoughtfully.

"You're an only child, right, Raven?" I nodded. She sighed before shrugging. "Then you wouldn't understand." Jinx didn't say anything else as she walked out the room. I stared at the door, realizing with relief that this might have been the last time I ever saw her.

I stared at the door, dazed by the sudden realization, until another person I didn't expect to see soon showed up. I stared at the man who stood at the foot of my bed. He looked the same as he always did. His suit pressed, hair smoothed back, his face clean…his eyes just as cold as ever. Somehow during all of this, I forgot how consistent my father could be. It had been at least 10 months and he looked the exact same as he did when I left.

It was foolish to think he would change simply because he's seeing me in a hospital, paying the price for another stupid mistake.

"I see you are healing well." He said, his tone cool as if we were talking about something mundane like the weather. I felt my throat become as dry as sandpaper. My father walked around my bed, touching the IV before looking down at the bandage on my arm in disdain. "We'll have to have Dr. Marlow take a better look at that." My eyes widened.

"I know what you're thinking." He said as he strode to the foot of my bed once again, putting his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. " 'What does he mean Dr. Marlow? She was only my doctor in California? He can't be…'" I looked at him in disbelief as he said my exact thoughts. He met my eyes for the first time since he stepped into the room. I felt a chill go through me as he stared down at me as if I was nothing more than something he had to fix. Again. "We're taking you back to California."

"What?" I shook my head to try and understand. "No, I can't go back. I don't want to." I told him, my voice dry and weak. Not my voice but someone more desperate.

"It doesn't matter." He said sharply. I flinched at it. "The doctors said it's best if you came back home, away from all this. And that includes temporary custody of you when you turn eighteen." I opened my mouth but a feeling of defeat settled inside of me. My dad saw this and straightened up, smiling slightly at the fact that he won. I felt anger push to the surface as I clenched my fist, gripping the blanket until it tore. My father turned away from me as he went to exit.

"You can't do this." I growled at him. My dad paused, turning towards me. His face was twisted in anger and annoyance.

"Will you shut up?" He snapped. I recoiled as if I had actually been hit by his words. "Do you even realize what you've done? The face of my company is in jeopardy thanks to your stupid decisions. The police are practically lined outside the door to arrest you. And your mother…" He trailed off as he tried to calm himself down. He stepped closer to me.

"Your mother has been crying non-stop since she heard, exhausting herself with worry. All because of you." He continued. "I love that woman with all my heart and I thought last person that would hurt her like this would be her own damn daughter!" I felt shame wash away any anger I was feeling. I didn't point out the countless times that he's hurt her. I couldn't remember any except my own. "Believe it or not, Raven, _this is not about you!"_ He seethed. He took a breath as he fell back into his cold façade but I could still see the anger right under the surface. "This is about fixing the same problem I always had to fix."

I watched him silently as he left the room as quietly and calmly as he came. I fell back on my pillow, tears slipping down my face silently but I couldn't feel them. Any emotion that I could I felt was swallowed somewhere inside until I felt numb again. I stared at the door. Even when my mom strode back in silently, taking my hand and wiping the tears on my face. She said some words to try and comfort me, shedding a few tears of her own, before she fell quiet. I looked at her. She was laying her head down on the edge of the bed, sleeping. She looked so innocent and tired. Even in her sleep, she had a strong grip on my hand, our fingers interlaced. She had been like that since I woke up now that I think about it.

She always looked at me with fear when she had to go eat or talk to the doctor outside my room. She was slightly more relaxed when Roy was here to watch me but she would always squeeze my hand and tell me she loved me before walking away. She held me, talked to me, looked at me with that same fear. Like I would disappear the second she let me go.

And I almost did.

I touched the top of her hand gently, convincing myself that she's really here with me. That she was staying right by my side. Though I hated the fact, my father was right. It was my fault that she ended up like this, tired and heartbroken. Even if I could walk away from this hospital, if I was healed, if Robin…I closed my eyes to the pain of the unknown. _Even if I could leave with Robin_, I forced myself to think, _I can't._ I couldn't leave my mom. Not yet. Not when she was so close to losing me. I laid my head down next to hers.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to her. "I am so sorry." I repeated, stroking her hair gently. I did that until she started to stir. I still felt empty but couldn't help the relief I felt as I saw her smile a bit as she woke up.

"Hey, sweetie." She said. "You feeling any better?" I nodded and her smile grew a little. She sat up and stretched her arms, letting go for only a moment. She took it again as she reached for the TV remote and started flipping trough the channels. I didn't speak as she made some passing comments about a couple of the shows. She settled on a 90's sitcom. We stared t the screen silently, her laughing here and there, before she spoke once again.

"Your father told me he told you about us taking you back to California." She said. I tensed at the statement. My mom squeezed my hand. "It's okay, sweetie. I know it's weird for you to leave but we think it'll be best if you were somewhere familiar. At least until you start school. We're leaving the day after tomorrow. The doctors said that's when you came be released." I nodded, not speaking about the thought of going back to the house that only ever held pain memory after painful memory for me.

Yeah, that was familiar.

There was a knock at the door and our eyes snapped towards it. The door was cracked open and a doctor poked his head in. He motioned towards my mom.

"Can we speak with you in the hall for a moment?" He said. My mom bit her lip and looked at me. She kissed my cheek before standing up mumbling a "I'll be right back." I turned my attention back to the TV, not really following what was going on. My mom stepped back in a few minutes later. A look of relived but nervous look was on her face. She walked towards me cautiously. My heartbeat sped as I became nervous. She sat next to me once more, taking my hand again.

"Honey," She said, "do you remember the boy that was with you in the alley?" I looked at her before nodding, my pulse beating against my skin once again. "The doctors just informed me of how he is." I froze for a moment before gripping her hand tight. She placed her hand over mine with a small smile. "He's gonna be okay." I was then overwhelmed with a million thoughts and emotions but all I could think clear enough was _he's alive! He's alive!_

"He's…he's…" I couldn't say the words, too afraid that if I did they wouldn't be true. But my mom just continued to smile at me.

"He's going to live, Raven. He made it." I felt the first real smile grow on my face along with my elation. Raven was alive. We could finally be together without hiding. We made it. We're free! We're free! We're free-

My thoughts fell as I just remembered something. Robin, the love of my life, was okay.

I was leaving in two days.

* * *

They wouldn't let me see him that day. I asked them plenty of times that day but it was always "He's not allowed to see anyone but family at the moment" or something else. More excuses than I wanted to hear. I became agitated despite all my mom's attempts to sooth me. She kept saying we could probably see him tomorrow. I was silent for the rest of the day, which was cut off early when the doctors came in with more bone-numbing medicine.

The next day was pretty much the same. I asked to see him and I met the same excuses. I didn't protest as I did the day before but asked for medicine so I could sleep. I woke up around two in the morning, the medicine finally wearing off a bit. The only light in the room came from the small window in the door that led to the hallway. My mom was fast asleep. I felt wide awake, almost restless, my thoughts burned with seeing Robin. I listened for footsteps but none came.

I slowly pulled off the tape to my IV. I bit my lip as I tugged out the needles. My hand stung but I ignored it as I slowly stood. My legs were wobbly, no longer use to walking. I stumbled a couple of steps as I walked as quietly as I could to the door. I half expected doctors to swarm me and try to put me back in my room but none came as I stepped out my room. I moved slowly down the hall, looking into each room. My heartbeat picked up as I got closer and closer to the reception desk. What excuse could I give? What would they think?

My heart relaxed again as I peered into the last room before I became visible.

Robin was fast asleep with the covers pulled up to his chest. He had tubes up his nose and looked paler than usual. His breath seemed labor. There was a heart monitor by his bed, showing a steady beat. I frowned as I started down at him. He seemed _wrong._ Broken.

And he was.

And it was my fault.

I leaned my head against the window, shutting my eyes, holding back the thoughts of the nightmare that still continued to haunt me. _But he's alive_, I reassured myself,_ he's alive. And he's right there through the door._ I touched the doorknob about to turn it.

"May I help you?" I deep, gravelly voice behind me said. I jumped and turned around. A man with the same dark hair and strong face as Robin looked at me from his seat. He stared at me with piercing dark blue eyes. Bruce Wayne.

Robin's dad.

My mind drew a blank as I stared at him. The shock froze any thoughts I had as he pinned me in my place by the haunted look in his eyes. He stood up and was all the more intimidating as he grew in front of me. He seemed to pull shadows to his tall frame as he looked past me to his son. He looked weary but still scary enough for you to think twice about what you say. He stepped towards the window and I moved back reluctantly.

We stood in a strange standstill. I wasn't sure whether or not to leave as the silence grew heavy and uncomfortable. He didn't take his eyes off his son, oblivious to the fact that I was still there. Or so I thought until I stepped back down the hall and he spoke.

"You were the girl that was in the alley with him." He said. My throat felt as if it was closing in so much that I felt like I couldn't really speak. But I felt that he deserved an answer, so I cleared my throat and squeaked a "yes." He gave a humorless laugh.

"I heard you've been asking for him." He told me. I shrugged weakly.

"I needed to see him." I said in a rough voice. He nodded in understanding. He sighed, narrowing his eyes a bit as if he couldn't really focus on something. I stood there for a few moments before deciding that I wouldn't be able to see Robin with Bruce there. I turned once more and started walking down the hall again.

"Raven," My pulse jumped as I heard Bruce say my name. I stopped and looked back at him. "Your mom's told me a lot about you. She said that you were usually reserved. Cautious, really, when it came to being around people. Robin doesn't fall for girls like that." He met my eyes and I felt frozen once again as he looked me up and down. I felt exposed with nowhere to hide under his gaze. He met my eyes once more with a reluctant resolve. "I really hope you were worth it."

I was speechless as he returned his eyes to his son. I walked back to my room silent as Bruce's words rang inside my head. I slid back into my bed; the sheets cool on my overheated skin. _I really hope you were worth it. _I sighed as I closed my eyes.

"I hope so too." I whispered into the night, where they disappeared.

I shrugged on my clothes, stuffing my jeans into my boots and straightening my jacket, before standing up straight and looking in the mirror. I looked strange. And not in the way I expected. Strange as in, I looked normal. And all it took was a shower and regular clothes to look that way. The bullet wound wrapped in bandages, the only physical proof that this even happened, was hidden under the jacket I wore. I twisted and turned for something that said "Yes this happened!" but there was nothing.

I was the same girl I was all those months ago when I left California.

What really changed?

I stepped out the bathroom and grabbed the bag that held all my personal things from Uncle Mike and Aunt Ann's house. I lifted it up and was surprised at how it was heavier than my other bags.

How fitting.

I looked around the room for the last time. It was bare, showing no signs of my stay. The sky outside was filled with dark, ominous clouds. A storm brewing on the horizon. I closed my eyes, tearing my eyes away as I exited the room. My parents stood by the reception desk, talking to the doctor. I stepped behind them. My father glanced back as me briefly before bringing his attention back to the doctor. I looked towards Robin's room and felt a strong pang of pain.

I didn't get to say goodbye.

"Alright, Raven should be all set. All her medical information is sent to her doctor. Her prescriptions should be ready the day she gets there. All you need to do is sign her out." the doctor said reassuringly.

"Thank you, doctor." My mom said, shaking his hand. My dad didn't say anything as he signed me out. My mom turned to me and rubbed my uninjured shoulder gently. "You ready?" I nodded weakly, sparing once last look at Robin's room before following my parents.

"Excuse me," someone said behind me. I turned at saw a sweet-faced nurse looking at me. "Are you Raven?"

"Yes…" I answered cautiously. She beamed at me.

"I'm so glad I caught you. Robin had been asking for you all day yesterday. I heard you were getting checked out today and thought I could caught you before you go." My heart hammered against my chest.

"He asked for me?" The nurse nodded. I turned to my parents. "I have to see him." I told them, dropping my bag. I heard my father about to protest before my mom stopped him.

"She needs this." She told him. My heartbeat drowned out whatever reply my father had as the nurse led me inside him room. I looked down at Robin. He was still asleep but didn't look at peace.

"He should wake up any minute now." The nurse reassured me before leaving us alone. I sat down in the chair beside his bed, staring down at him. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked at the damage I caused. I took his hand gingerly.

"I'm so sorry." I told him as more tears flowed down my face. I cried silently, never looking away from him. A few moments later, when my tears slowed, Robin started to stir. I sat up straighter, leaning towards him. Robin slowly blinked his eyes open before focusing on me. A smile quickly grew on his face.

"Raven," he said breathlessly. I wrapped my arms him desperately, my tears coming back full force. He pulled back and stared at me with wonder. "You're here." I nodded, smiling a bit through my tears.

"Yes," I said. "I'm here." I wrapped my arms tightly around him again. He scooted over and I climbed in the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around me as I settled beside him. I heard him sigh into my hair and kiss my neck gently. I relaxed deeper as I felt him against me. He was here. He was alive and breathing. I buried my face into his neck, wishing I never had to leave this bed. In the background, I could hear his heartbeat pick up on the heart monitor and I realized how it immediately started to match mine.

"And here I thought I would never hold you in my arms again." He said against my skin. I tensed at the words. I pulled back to look at him. He still looked tired but the hope in his eyes shined so brightly. I felt more tears come to my eyes, feeling a small part of me die at the sight of it. Of all the foolish hope he was feeling right now.

And how I would have to be to rip it away from him.

"Robin, I have to tell you something." I told him, my voice growing thick. But he seemed oblivious as he continued.

"As soon as I'm healed, we can be out of here. We could go back to Charleston before we have to go to school. We don't have to worry about Jinx or Terra or anyone ever again. It's just you and me-"

"Robin, I need to tell you something and I really need you to stop talking because you're making it harder for me to tell you and if I don't tell you, you'll find out too late." I said quickly. He heard the urgency in my voice and stopped. The hope in his eyes was replaced with confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I took a shaky breath, one traitor tear falling out my eye. I wiped it away and looked down at our hands and how tightly he held mine.

"I'm leaving today." I told him. I looked up and instantly regretted it. His face had fallen into a desperate agony. "The doctors are placing me in temporary custody of my parents and their taking me back to California. I don't have a choice." I said quickly, hoping that it would hurt less if I did. Pain still sliced through me as I said the words. Robin looked down at our hands, biting his lip.

"How long?" he asked.

"I don't know." I said. "Until after I turn eighteen. I'll be under temporary custody but I don't know how long yet." Robin met my gaze once again.

"I just said goodbye to you." He said desperately. "I don't wanna have to do it again."

"I don't either." I said using every piece of will power I had to hold back my tears. "I don't wanna lose you again but I have no choice." I told him just as desperate, hoping he could understand.

Robin stared down at me with unshed tears. I placed my hand on his face. He held it to him, staring into my eyes deeper than before, knowing that every second we had counted.

"Why do I have a feeling that it's gonna be longer than that?" he asked quietly his voice just as thick as mine.

"Because you have good instincts." I said, my voice cracking. I took one long breath but it was too late. Robin pulled me again his chest and I sobbed into it, clinging on to him. He rubbed soothing circles into my back but didn't speak. We held other tight, neither one of us saying anything. There was nothing to say.

I pulled back for a moment, memorizing his face as I heard the door creak open.

"Raven," My father called. "It's time to go."

I didn't acknowledge him or look away from Robin. Instead I pulled his face towards mine and kissed him. It wasn't gentle. It was brutal and desperate as he pulled me even tighter to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, savoring the taste of his lips one last time. We kissed until air became a necessity and our lips stopped so that they were only resting on each other.

I pulled back and climbed out of the bed. I didn't look back at Robin, knowing I would break down again if I did. I passed my father without a word, picking up my bag. My mom was silent as she started to walk towards the exit, my dad coming quickly to her side and grabbing her hand. I turned back to get one last glimpse of Robin. He was staring at the ceiling with tears flowing down his face. I steppe back to him, reaching out to him, but forced myself to turn back towards the door and forced myself to walk towards it.

I saw the black town car waiting on the curb. I hurried towards it, thankful that my parents got a separate one, as I climbed in. I placed my head against the cool window as I felt my heart break inside my chest and I sobbed quietly, glad there were no witnesses to see my pain. Rain beat down on the window as I was driven away from the life I knew and the love I lost.

The storm had finally arrived.

* * *

Jinx and Terra watched as Raven was driven away from the hospital to the airport. _Good riddance_, Jinx thought as she switched her gaze back to the hospital, where Robin was healing. They were finally separated.

Her job was done.

Jinx sighed as she felt fatigue from the whole situation.

"Glad that's over." She said. Terra nodded in agreement. They turned and started walking through the forest to the side of the forest, towards their houses. Jinx stumbled a bit and Terra caught her. Jinx mumbled a quick "thanks" as she gained her footing once again. She stopped under a dense set of trees, where the rain couldn't reach her. Terra stopped when she notice Jinx wasn't at her side and turned to look at her.

"So what kind of karma do you think is gonna happen to us after this?" Jinx asked her twin. Terra shrugged.

"I don't know." she said stepping closer to her. She placed a reassuring hand on Jinx's shoulder. "All I know is that in the past four years I lost my sister and felt like my other half was torn away from me. Now that I have you back, I realize how much torture that was, to have my own twin as my enemy. What could possibly be worst than that?" Terra stepped away and started walking again.

Jinx watched her before sliding a hand over here stomach. She could feel the slight bugle that she couldn't remember being there a couple months ago. And she knew it wasn't from any weight she could have possibly gained.

_I don't know,_ she thought,_ but I think I'm getting mine now._

But she didn't say anything as she caught up with her sister. Terra smiled at her before placing an arm around her shoulder. Jinx placed an arm around her waist, pulling Terra to her side.

And the twins walked home through the rain, holding on to their other half tight.


	28. Living With Consequence

_Living With Consequence_

I never realized how much of a modern palace my house was before. I stared up at the elaborate structure, shocked at how it had once been normal for me to live inside of it. How long has it been since I've lived where a "room" was really a personal suite? Seven, eight months?

It felt like years.

It was amazing how foreign this lifestyle felt to me. How it was hard to remember there were people to bring my bag in. How a ten car garage was the smallest one we had. I looked around at the manicured lawn and garden, at the lavish house with Victorian style doors that acted as a gate to the inside. I felt like I was in a daze as my mom led me inside and up the stairs to a door that I have forgotten was mine.

The room was grand as I spotted the sitting area that invited you further into the room, where you see a gigantic bedroom that was more spacious than I remember, and had it's own personal balcony. I knew that if you walked along it, you would be led into a small personal library that was tucked away and was an alternate entrance to the walk-in closet.

I stepped inside my room and paused. There was something about the room that felt more like a stranger's than mine. But there was a familiarity to it as I stepped inside and placed my bag on the bed. I took out my clothes, noticing how they contradicted with the soft silk and expensive cottons around me. I looked to the side of the dresser to where the door to the walk-in closet was. I abandoned my bags as I went inside.

I flicked on the lights, illuminating a piece of my past. As I looked around, I knew there was not a shred of cloth inside that was less than two hundred dollars. I touched a pair of jeans, ran my fingers over a couple tops, and paused. What was the last thing I wore from this closet? I thought back and realized it was the leather jacket that I wore when I first got to Gotham. I stopped wearing it when Karen arrived in Gotham and let me borrow hers when I went ice driving with her. I sighed. So long ago…

I stepped back out to my room where my suitcases waited for me to empty. I passed them and exited the room, feeling the familiar weight of the air as I walked through the house again. Some of the workers paused to look at me briefly before returning back to what they were doing. I vaguely wondered about where Glenn was. We lost contact after a couple months. By then I was so wrapped up with Northside that my old life got pushed aside.

As I stepped inside the garage that had all the cars I actually bought, I realized how cold I felt. There were goose bumps on my arms and I could barely felt the tips of my fingers. But I knew that it was at least 80 degrees outside and we always kept the garage around 75, so I knew it wasn't the air. I touched the hood of the Ferrari in front of me. It was the one I sped to the airport with the day I left. Before any trace of this mess could even happen.

I stepped back from the car and went back into the house, trying not to think about the beginning that would always lead to the same end. I looked through the rest of the house, reminding myself of my old life. I thought about the luxury of everything, not the many price tags I had to pay for it. Through out my self made tour, a familiar air wrapped itself around me. I couldn't tell what it was though. And as I walked further into the house, it started to annoy me.

Just as my frustration was hitting its peak, my fingers brushed against a wooden door. I stopped and stared at it. It was so different from all the other doors in house. There was no decorations or ornate carving. It was just a plain wooden door. Now most people would look at it and think it was a closet. Nothing major, just a place where the maids put their brooms.

However, I knew just by looking at it, it wasn't a closet. It was a tiny room (well tiny compared to the rest of the house…mansion). In the room, instead of a bed, there was a window seat. There was a mirror that turned into a TV, a couple of kitchen appliances with a refrigerator filled with food, and a small bathroom to match the room. I also knew that it only opened room the outside so once you got in-or thrown in-you couldn't out.

I twisted the doorknob and opened the door. I took off one the fancy bracelets from my wrist to stop the door from completely closing. The light from the hallway and window were the only light in the room. I didn't turn any on as the air from earlier weighted down on me into a familiar annoyance. It drummed against my skin, pushing against me, begging me to recognize what it was.

_Remember…remember…_it felt like the walls echoed the words and through it's urgency, I did remember. I remembered as I sat down on the window seal my old anger. The anger that made me want to lash out at my dad and the guards in the house. Then came the resentment that I felt towards my dad, my mom…I shook my head as I remembered the pain.

Every ounce of pain I felt from this house. From all the emotional anger to every physical blow that I've felt. Every memory of pain crashed over me, suddenly overwhelming me. And I could feel each and every one no matter how much I wanted it to go away…. and how it all seemed to lead back to this room.

And I finally recognized it. It was something so obvious that I almost slapped myself from not knowing. It's funny how my old prison reminded me. But then again, is it really a big surprise?

The "air" I kept feeling, was just the house saying what it's always told me when I came back to it.

_Welcome home_, it said, _welcome home._

"Do you hate me?" I asked my mom. We were drinking some honey tea my mom made to try and make me feel more comfortable to be back "home."

To _my_ surprise, she wasn't surprised by the question. She was as calm as ever. Nothing in my mom's face changed. For a moment, I wondered if I actually asked the question.

"No." she said with a shrug.

"You're disappointed." My mom smiled bitterly.

"I saw it coming, which is why I didn't want you going up there." She told me. She looked me straight in the eye with a grave resolve. "It's not a good situation, Raven. At all." I leaned forward, feeling suddenly alarmed.

"What is it?" I asked her, my voice instinctively lowering. She looked at me with dread and I got a glimpse into my mom's true feelings. I've always compared my mom to a president's wife. Even when everything was going wrong, she looked put together, standing strong at her husband's side. But I didn't see the image my mother had been keeping so long. I saw a woman who was scared of the future of her daughter.

"Remember when you were in the hospital and your father rarely came in?" I nodded. "Why do you think that was?"

"I thought it was because he didn't want to see me. I thought he was angry at me, you know, for scarring the family name and all that." I told her, slightly thrown by the question. My heart picked up at the sadistic chuckle my mom made, looking out the window.

"If only it were that simple." She said in a strange, regretful tone that I never heard before. She turned her gaze back to me, the intensity of it almost like daggers.

"You got yourself in a lot of trouble this time, Raven." She said gravely. "At first, it wasn't a big deal, a couple of kids in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then they saw the schools the two kids went to. Northside and Southside…two rivals which were having some kind of gang battle that particular night. Actually, not too far from where the two were shot. They began looking deeper and deeper.

"That's when the FBI started getting involved. They started looking at whom you both would know, whom you would both associate with. The FBI looked at your uncle, since he was your caregiver, started question him about anything suspicious. Of course he didn't know anything so they dismissed him in any involvement." I sighed in relief but I paused at my mom's eyes kept their grave look. "Don't relax just yet." She told me before continuing.

"It was then the police started looking at the people who were members of your uncle's gym." I tensed, having a feeling of where this was going. "When they found out you friend, Vic, died here a couple of months ago, everything spiraled down. They found footage of the gangs down here from highway cameras. They also got footage of you and Vic getting into a fight at the gym. Along with all the other evidence of you being in the actual gang and the connection between Vic and…" I tensed as I prepared for her to say _his_ name. But she just shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. She sighed before meeting my eyes again. "They're trying to pin the murder on you."

I froze, my blood going cold as I tried to process this. The FBI is going to say that Vic's death was _my_ fault?

"What?" I exclaimed, my heart beating wildly in my chest. "But I didn't do it! The guy that killed him is dead! You have to believe me. I know I lied about everything but I didn't kill him, mom!" I told her desperately.

"I know you didn't." My mom said sternly. "I may not know everything you do but you are _not_ a killer." She reassured me before giving me a panicked look. "But the police don't see it that way. I could scream that they're wrong all day but they won't trust my word. What mother would say their daughter's a killer? Plus, they've been looking for a way to get to your father for years."

"What?" I said thrown by her answer. I always thought the police were after my father for something but to have it confirmed was shocking. My mom sighed before glaring past me.

"Though I love your father, he was never perfect. He never wanted to follow the rules and that would get him in trouble. Sometimes more than others. He's been running away from them for years and with this, they finally found a way to catch up to him.

"They were constantly pulling him out to the station while you healed, since he refused for them to see you. He would be gone for hours every since day. He wanted us to come back home so that he could handle it from here-"

"Where he could handle it better." I finished for her. She nodded. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers against my temple as I tried to process how all this could happen. "So what's dad doing now?"

"He said he's finding a way to fix it." My mom said. My eyes snapped open to look at her. She was looking out the window once again.

"What does that mean?" I asked. She sighed once more and picked up her tea, taking a sip. She finally looked back at me, looking like the president's wife once again, calm and cool.

Everything put together.

"I don't know." She said. "And that's what scares me the most."

Weeks passed.

I noticed the days changing but they all seemed to blend together until they became the same. I woke up and it was sunny outside. I got dressed and ate in my suite. Glenn would come in and say hello. "Make sure I wasn't too quiet." She would tell me. I answer any question she asked, comment when expected but each day the question seemed the same. I could feel Glenn struggling with the tension in the room as my words started become fewer and farther in between. Her concern grew but I brushed it off.

In the afternoon, after the therapist visited and I had quiet tea with my mom, I would wander around the house. Sometimes, I would go to the library, other days I would sit by the pool. Yet more often then not, I would in up in the garden. My mother's garden was a huge maze with tall walls of green and bright flowers. Hundreds of exotic flowers grew here and now that it was nearing the end of spring, they were all in full bloom. There was the occasional clearing with a mid-sized tree in the middle with a bench under it, where you could sit if you wanted to rest under some shade. I remember feeling like Alice in Wonderland when I went there as a child. It was so easy to get lost in all its beauty.

Which was exactly what I tried to do.

Everyday I would start at the same point, the garden's entrance, and I would run. I wouldn't think about where I was really going. I just ran, so fast that I wouldn't let myself recognize the flowers or paths around me. Whenever I started to think, I would speed up until all the colors blurred around me. I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Then I would fall wherever I was and just lay there. I would stare up at the sky, not bothered by anything else.

It was there, on the ground, that I would allow myself to think and wonder about Robin. How was his therapy going? Was he stabilized? Did he relapse? Was he bored? Did they release him to go home? If so, what was he doing? What was he watching on TV? What was Alfred making him?

Sometimes I would laugh, thinking of some of the things I thought he would be doing. Most days I cried silently, letting my tears disappear into the soil under me. Sometimes I would think about other people-Justin, Roy, and Karen-but they would always lead back to Robin somehow. And each time it was more painful than the last but I welcomed it with opened arms. It was the only thing that I could feel and I was tired of being numb all the time. Thinking of him, helped remind me that yes, I am alive.

Yes, this is all real. It's all real…

When the last rays of sunshine finally started to fade, I would force myself to stand up and find the exit back to the house. I would eat a silent dinner with my parents before trudging my tired body up to my room to get ready for bed. I would reheat some of the tea that my mother made earlier and would sit outside on my balcony, staring up the sky, too tired to think but too afraid to sleep. When my eyes could barely stay opened, I forced myself to my bed, where my daily nightmares plagued me until the sun woke me once again.

Then the change happened.

Its start was small. Nothing more than a plain white envelope on my bedside table. I noticed when I walked in my room to change into something more comfortable before I started running through the garden. I looked at carefully. It was plain except for the hand written addresses written on the front. I picked up and a rectangle package under it. I raised an eye as I opened the letter and read.

Dear Raven,

I hope you are feeling better. Your mom says that you did really well in physical therapy and that you are feeling a lot better. I'm not exactly sure what "better" is but I'm sure it's a lot better than before.

I know you think that your uncle and I are very disappointed in you because of your decisions. We were but as time as passed, we've realized that you have also matured and become a wonderful person, in the process. You may not realize that amazing changes you have gone through the few months that you were here but we do. I do.

And we are _so_ proud of you. Despite the mistakes, I will always be proud of all the accomplishments you have made. Don't forget that.

I love you and I hope you get well soon.

Love,

Aunnie

P.S. here's something to make you a little closer to "better."

I closed the letter with a heavy heart. Of course Aunnie would be the one to go out her way to make me feel better no matter how much I don't deserve it. I eyed the package carefully. Something told me that despite Aunnie's words, it would only make me feel worst. But another part of me was too curious to let it sit there or throw it away. So with a deep sigh, I grabbed the box and opened it. And I was surprised.

Pictures. Lots and lots of picture were wrapped in rubber bands. I took out a stack. The first one I looked at was an older picture, bent a little bit around the corners but in pretty good shape. I looked at it carefully as I saw a little girl, maybe around eight in a school uniform standing next to some Christmas decorations. She was pretty and looked sweet but there something off about her smile. It wasn't exactly fake but it wasn't real either. It was…painful. That's probably the best way to describe it. It was something easily missed, but definitely defining of this little, tiny girl.

And then I realized it was me.

Then I remembered that this was when we first became rich and my dad had enrolled me into this prestigious elementary school. I didn't know it was a boarding school until my parents dropped me off with a suitcase. I remember my dad bending down on his knee and saying, "Be good. Remember all we've taught you and don't forget to have fun but just a little." I giggled at that and so did he. Then he tapped my nose, he and mom told me they loved me, and left.

And I was good. I did well in classes, respected the teachers, and was nice to the other kids. Problem was, it was the other away around. The kids teased me and made sure that I was alone all the time because I was such "such a nerd with ugly clothes." All I wanted to do was run back to my mom. But she was gone and so was dad so I just had to endure.

I was happy when Uncle Mike said I could visit them for Christmas. Unfortunately, my parents, who I thought were going to be there, didn't show up. They would show up until the day after Christmas. When I found out the news, I didn't cry. If nothing else, that elementary school taught me I couldn't cry over everything. Later that day, they took this picture and, though I didn't realize it at the time, that was when I started to really resent-if not hate-my parents.

As I flipped trough the more of the pictures, I saw me as I grew up through the eyes of my aunt and uncle. I went from the tiny, cute kid to the awkward preteen to the "beauty" I am now. The transformations were there. Looking back, they were almost drastic but in every picture, real smile or not, whether or not it was a holiday, good news or bad news, one feature stayed the same. The pain in the eyes. It was in _every_ single picture. I almost wanted to rip them up because I was so tired of seeing it. Finally I came to the last two stacks.

I looked at the stack when I was older first. I recognized it as the last year when I stayed there. At first, it was the usual in pained eyes and fake smile. But as I flipped through them, it started to change. I started to change. My eyes became softer, my face more relaxed in general. In a way I looked a little healthier because of it. There were pictures where there was pain in my eyes-when Vic died, when I broke up with Robin-but there were pictures where I would smile and be genuinely…happy.

I looked through the last stack and couldn't help but smile. It was pictures of me from a baby to a toddler. I was smiling and laughing as my mom chased me around in the old house we had. I was mesmerized at how tiny I was and how young my mom looked. It never really hit me how beautiful my mom. I knew she was pretty, but to me she was just my mom. It was just how she looked. But looking at these pictures, it was easy to see why my dad would fall in love with her. She was passionate and affection in these pictures. Her smile was easy and she had this kind of glow. She was so full of…life. And she was beautiful because of it.

So imagine my surprise when I saw the same glow in my dad. When I first saw him holding me in one of the pictures, I almost couldn't recognize him. I couldn't see the father that I knew now as he sat me on his shoulders, tied my shoes, laughed with my mom…he was the dad I use to know. I felt myself feeling a foreign emotion as I looked at these pictures. I paused at the last two pictures.

The first one was a picture of all of us. I was toddler and my mom was lying the floor beside me playing with me while holding me. My dad was holding both of us and we were all smiling. My heart warmed a bit at the thought that, yes, there was a time when we were all happy. The next one made me freeze.

Only my mom and dad were in it. It was a close up of their faces. They were staring at each other with their faces close to each other's, so close that you knew that the next picture would be of them either kissing or jumping back because they didn't expect the camera flash. The way they looked at each other was so strange. Not strange because it was _strange_. No, it was strange because…I knew that look. The same small, knowing smiles on their faces, their eyes gleamed with so much love, the intense but subtle connection…it reminded me of Robin and me.

I dropped the picture so quickly when the thought came to my mind. It landed upside down, to my relief. I looked though the rest of the package, hoping for an distraction. I pulled out two things: a DVD and my high school diploma. I looked over the diploma for a quick moment before moving on to the DVD, making a mental note to give the diploma to my mom a little later.

There was a note attached to the DVD that said: _Couldn't resist. Me and the twins miss you. Hope to see you soon._

–_Justin_

I looked at the cover and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me. It was Pocahontas.

I sighed as I thought about my cousins. I wondered how the twins were doing. I think their birthday passed but I don't know. I shook my head out the thoughts before I missed them too much. I walked over to my DVD player and put the movie. I settled onto the end of my bed as it played. As first, I was fine. It was a kiddy movie that I liked. I didn't feel anything towards it as something entertaining to do beside what I've been doing for the past few weeks.

Then John Smith saw Pocahontas. Something clenched in my chest as I watched that scene. An old memory played in my mind.

_I couldn't look away from him. It was too impossible. Everything disappears when he looked at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I forgot where I was or how long when were starring at each other. Then, literally, with a blink of an eye he was gone. _

I forced myself to pay attention to the movie, to not remember. But the movie continued and every scene they were together would remind me and I would slip into another memory. When they talked for the first time, it reminded me of the first I ran into Robin after I saw him. "Colors of the Winds" reminded me of the first few weeks we really got to know each other. When John Smith first snuck out to see Pocahontas, it made me think of every time Robin came to our clearing. Their first kiss…I found myself sighing as every kiss we've ever had.

Then of course when John Smith was shot reminded me of my nightmares and by the time they got to their final goodbye I was in tears without even realizing it. I just kept staring until I felt something hot and wet running down the side of my face. I wiped my face and finally felt sobs racking my whole body, as if all the pain inside was threatening to rip me apart as reality came crashing down on me.

I could look at a hundred pictures for a thousand hours but it's won't change anything. It won't change what I've done, who I've hurt because of what I did. Those happy moments are nothing more than pictures, something that never last for more than a moment. I was happy then but that's not my reality. It's not the truth.

It's not real anymore.

The next night, I was eating dinner with my parents. It was quiet as usual. No one talked except for the occasional comment here and there. I was staring at my food, my thoughts wandering back to Gotham and how dinner was never quiet. There was always talk, the food was rarely fancy, and even on a bad day there was a laugh or two.

I held back a sigh as I came back to the present. I heard my dad clear his throat and I lifted my head to look at him. My mom did that same. He looked at both of us uneasily.

"I have some bad news." He said. I tensed immediately. My mom looked at me quickly before turning her attention back to him.

"What is it?" My mom asked, breaking the tense silence. My father sighed.

"X is coming back." He told us. Everything froze for a moment. The tension in the room soared to the highest level in the house, like newly spun, fragile glass.

It was my mom again who broke it.

"WHAT?" She exclaimed, shocked. "I…I don't understand. I thought he had a life sentence or at least 20 more years!"

"Good behavior." He said. "And good connections, which equals early release."

"Even so, why is he coming back here?" She asked. My dad opened his mouth as if to explain but he remained speechless. She narrowed her eyes before standing up slowly. "Why is he coming back here?" she repeated, her anger and confusion making her voice tremble a bit. My father sighed.

"The contract is still valid, therefore…technically, him and Raven are still engaged." He finally admitted. I felt my heart paused in my chest before breaking into a sprint.

"How is that possible?" My mom yelled. "You were supposed to take care of that years ago."

"Well if nothing else, my parents were great at making contracts." My dad answered bitterly. "It was iron clad. There was no way I could break it. Every lawyer that looked over it said the same thing." My dad looked at her guilty. "If they don't get married, then we loose everything."

"And it _never _crossed your mind to tell me this!" My mom yelled enraged.

"I've tried to-"

"When?"

"-It was never the right time. It would've been too late when X was suppose to get out so I didn't worry about it-"

"You are unbelievable! After everything that happened you still don't know how to clean up your messes!"

"My messes?"

"Yes, _your_ messes! You never-"

"Never what? Provided for my family? Gave you everything you wanted? I was only trying to protect you-"

"And looked what happened! You're always trying to 'protect me.' Well guess what, your 'protection' isn't working!"

"You know what? I've worked too hard to listen to crap like this-"

"What, you can't handle the truth?"

"I've been handling it for years!"

"Liar!"

"No." My parents paused at my voice. My father looked at me.

"What?" He asked sharply. I didn't feel the sting of it.

"No," I repeated. "I am not marrying X. If they want to take everything, they can have it but I refuse to marry X." I said in a steady, calm voice. My father narrowed his eyes at me. He stepped away from my mother towards me.

"Excuse me?" He said. "You spoke but I possibly couldn't have heard you right."

"I said no-"

"You will marry him." He said with finality. I felt rage rush through my veins. "I will not let you bring this family down because of your selfishness. Not again."

"My selfishness or your greed?" I asked him with a glare. "Either way the answer is still no." I pushed my chair back, about to walk out when he grabbed me painfully but my wounded arm.

"Trent!" My mom exclaimed but he didn't pay attention to her.

"If you think that I am loosing everything for _you_, all my work, everything I own, you are sadly mistaken." He told me, while shaking me, pressing painfully into he gun wound. I struggled against his hold

"Get off of me-"

"You will marry X!"

"Or what? You have nothing on me!" I yelled, finally ripping free of his grasp. He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Oh, I have nothing on you?" He clasped his hands and I tensed. He only did that when he knew he had you trapped. "What about the drag races? The garage 50 miles south of Los Angeles harboring every car you've stolen from here to Switzerland, that is worth at least 50 million dollars? I couldn't possibly know about your grand theft auto record or the million speeding tickets that comes along with it. And I couldn't possibly know about the mysterious, murderous boyfriend either. The heir of Carson Industries…I must say, you do aim high." I looked over at my mom. She stared at me with disbelief at my dad's revelations.

"If you don't go through with this," he continued, bringing my attention back to him, "I will bring them all down. I'll give the address and names straight to the police and have each and every one in that damned crew locked up. Karen would easily get 10-15 years. The little Mexican twins will be deported. As for Roy and _Robin_-" I flinched at how my father said Robin's name, like poison. "-Well…you'll be luck if they escape death row." My eyes widened.

"What are you talking about? There's no way you could do that…"

"I'm perfectly capable of doing just that. It would be very easy to frame this whole murder mystery on Robin, considering he did kill one of them already. Despite my bad record with the police, I can pull a couple of strings. Oh and Roy would be too easy. This would be his third strike, wouldn't it? With the grand theft auto and maybe pull in a couple smaller crimes over the years," He shrugged as I looked at him in horror. "We're talking at least a life sentence." I shook my head.

"You can not do this!" I yelled. I launched myself at him without realizing it. It didn't matter as he easily caught me by the throat. He tightened his hold, lifting me off the ground. I struggled to breath, blacking lining my vision as he cut off my oxygen. After what seemed like years, he let me go and dropped to the ground, gasping for air. I could hear my mom yelling in the background but I was too busy staring up at the man I thought was once my father.

Now all I could see was someone else, not the dad I knew when I was young or even the one I knew a few months ago. This was someone new. Someone I couldn't recognize…a new monster I didn't see coming. I scrambled up from the floor and ran up to my room. I locked the door and collapsed on the ground as fear took over me.

_X is back._ I thought in terror. _He's coming back for me. He's coming back…_

Arella looked at her husband in horror as she watched her daughter run upstairs. She ran forward to try and catch her but Trent caught her instead.

"Just let her go." He said.

"That was not okay!" She said. Trent looked at her with nonchalance. Arella's anger flared as she pushed him off of her. "And I don't care what you say, he's not entering this house."

"Did you not here me?" Trent said exasperatedly. "We will loose everything!"

"Do you not remember what he did to _our_ daughter?"

"He went to jail. He learned his lesson. He wouldn't test us twice, while he's living under our roof."

"He won't test us where we can see him. The second we turn our backs, he'll hurt and you know it-" Arella pause for a moment as she saw the cold, calculating look in Trent's eyes. Then it finally clicked. "And you want him to." She said incredulously.

"Arella, don't go there." He warned her.  
"You want her to pay because she's affecting you money." She said, making sound more like a question, so deep in disbelief. Trent's eyes softened at her hurt expression. He reached out to touch her. She stepped back from him with an incredulous, vexed look. She narrowed her eyes before shaking her head. "Oh no, no, no. Don't think that you can give me that 'I'm sorry, I'll do be next time look.' It's not working." She started to walk pass him. He grabbed her arms. She pushed against his hold. "Get your hands off of me!"

"You don't understand-"

"What's to understand? You going to let someone who beat and almost _raped_ our daughter come waltzing in like he runs the place and not say anything because of some grudge you have between her and your checkbook-"

"Damn it, Arella!" he yelled, letting her go all of a sudden. She stumbled a couple steps back. "When are you going to open your eyes?"

"He almost raped her-"

"Yes, he did! But _you_ need to open your goddamn eyes and realize who your daughter is. She's not innocent, Arella! Not anymore!" Trent exclaimed. He took a couple of breaths to collect himself. "She's not who you think she is." Arella looked away with a wounded look. Trent stared at her for a moment before turning his back to her and heading upstairs to their bedroom. Before he could make it halfway up the stairs, she spoke.

"I guess that makes two of you." She said quietly but sharply. He paused for a moment before continuing up the stairs, never looking back at her.

Arella watched her husband leave and walked back to the dining room. She sat back down in her seat, looking back and forth between the empty seats. She sat there contemplating on what just happened. It almost seemed like a bad nightmare from years ago, already blurry and distant. But it just happened and she found out more than she really wanted to know. She realized that the two people she loved the most were also the ones she knew the least.

_If their not who I think they are,_ she thought to herself, _then who are they?_

"Miss," Arella turned to Glenn who stood in the doorway. Arella sighed.

"Not now, Glenn. I don't think I can take anymore bad news."

"I'm sorry but it's urgent." Glenn told her. Arella felt an alarm go off inside her.

"What is it?" Glenn gave her a grave look.

"The police are here." She said. "They've come for Raven."


	29. The Return Of The Nightmare

_The Return of A Nightmare_

The room looked like a scene out of Law & Order. A steel desk, cameras in the corners, two chairs, and one lone lamp to spotlight the guilty. I stared at the light with dull annoyance as my heart hummed in my chest. I sighed before leaning on the table, about to go to sleep. I was slightly surprised at how relaxed I was, considering what situation I am in.

Then again, it's not my first time in an interrogation room.

My eyes snapped to the door when I heard it being unlocked. I sat up as the detective stepped into the room with a folder under his arm. He had a tired look to him, his skin to pale. His hair was slightly curly, but otherwise he was very well put together and very familiar. He looked at me and chuckled bitter sweetly.

"And here I thought you would learn your lesson way back in L.A." He said as he took off his jacket, rolling up the sleeves. I scrutinized the motion and I finally looked at him. He was older but the same calculating look and "here we go again" smirk. I stared at him in disbelief. And here I once thought I would never see him again.

"Detective Cambridge," I greeted in slight awe.

"That would be me." He said, placing his jacket on the chair across from me before sliding his hands in his pocket. "Nice to see you again. Or not so nice in this case."

"I'll say," I told him dryly. He sighed before opening the folder in his hands.

"How bout we just get this over with because I really don't want to be here." He said in a tired tone before beginning. "Where were you April 4th, 2011 at 10:43 AM?"

"In California," I answered easily. "But you already knew that."

"I need specifics, Raven." He told me with a mocking smile. "A girl with your credentials should be able to handle that."

"My credentials aren't why I'm here." I said with a sardonic grin. "But I'm sure your credentials knew that." He sighed before straightening himself up a bit. He looked me dead in the eye, his gaze cold.

"Look, Raven, we've known each other long enough to know that I get sick of the run around very quickly. I've been dealing with it for _years_ with you but unlike last time or the time before that, this is a little more serious. We're trying to get down to the bottom of a murder and the attempt on your life. If that's not enough reason to take this seriously, I don't know what is." He said in a exhausted voice. I struggled to stay defiant, despite the logic in his words.

"Let's try this again," He said in a calmer tone. "Where were you April 4th, 2011 at 10:43 AM?" I took a deep breath as I tried to remember.

"I was hanging out with some friends that lived California. We went out for breakfast then hung out by the coast. By the time I came back to the house, my friends said something about needing to head back home. I didn't get the full story until I got back to Gotham." I told him unwavering, crossing my arms keeping my guard even though it wasn't necessary. Detective Cambridge could do all the test and ask all the question he wanted. But it didn't change that, for once, I was telling the truth.

At least for the most part.

Detective Cambridge nodded and jotted down a couple notes. I had a feeling that he wasn't really listening to my explanation. He was only listening for a key word that give a foothold into the true story. Smart man.

Too bad he was looking the wrong way.

"And by whole story you mean…" He trailed off. I sighed, leaning back into my seat as I recalled the painful story.

"Vic was walking with a friend through some neighborhood-"

"And by friend you mean Richard Grayson, right?" He said. I blinked as I heard his name so bluntly. I felt it hit my chest, almost burning it. I ignored the twist in my chest as I answered.

"Yes," I said, trying to sound unaffected but I heard it waver slightly. "Vic and…Richard were walking through a bad neighborhood and I guess they ran into the wrong people at the wrong time because somehow they got into a fight with them. Vic won and was walking away when one of the people shot him in the back. He died on a sidewalk." I said, my voice getting rough at the thought of Vic bleeding on the concrete, dying without a second thought.

"And the killer?" I shrugged as I tried to regain enough control to speak. "I know this is hard for you to comprehend right now, Raven, but I need you to talk. What do you think happened to the killer?"

"Dead, as far as I'm concerned." I said roughly, giving him a sharp glare. He looked unaffected. "Or that's what I heard, at least."

"Cut the bull." He said casually. I was taken aback by these words. "We both know that the details are not as vague as you want to pretend they are."

"What are you trying to say?" I said defensively.

"I'm trying to say that the police is not as clueless as you think we are." He said, sliding a set of pictures across the table. I scrutinized it briefly before a cold chill went down my spin. There was one of me in the park with Jinx, a couple of us hanging around the school. There were some of Kori hanging with us. Then there was some of the gym. And almost all starred Vic and me. I flipped through them, making sure my face was composed as my heart started to beat erratically at the pictures.

Vic and I practicing together.

Vic and I boxing.

Vic and I just hanging out during a break.

Vic getting into my car for a ride.

Then there some of us separately but those didn't matter.

What did matter was the grainy picture of me and someone else in a car, speeding away. My heart beat as I saw the date in the corner.

"Not to mention this wonderful video we found." He said, sliding over a phone. It felt familiar as I picked it up. I tapped the screen and it lit up. I clicked play and it almost felt like déjà vu as I watched the same video Jinx tossed at me only a couple months before. I forced myself to watch it again.

You could barely see anything but you could make out a guy and a girl, guns pointed at the other. I watched as the guy lowered his gun first and I could just make out him saying "I love you." I couldn't help but close my eyes as I heard the words that I've secretly craved since leaving…_Robin__'__s_ side.

"_I love you." He said simply, his voice heavy with emotion and his eyes showing me the truth to his words. The statement hit me like a bullet, breaking down my wall until I felt myself split in two. _

Pull the trigger,_I __thought,_he's lying._ But __my __hand__ was __still. __I__ felt __frozen. __Cold.__ I __bit __my __lip __at __the __pain __that __filled __me __at __the __thought __of __killing__ him. __Tears __burned __in __my __throat __as __I __fought __them__ back. __But __it __hurt. __And __I __didn__'__t __know__ why. __I __didn__'__t __understand.__ I __moved__ back __but __he __continued, __catching __my__ arm. __He __pulled __me__ to __him. __I __felt __his__ heat __seep __into __my __skin, __taking __me __from__ numb __to__ feverish.__ There__ was__ desire __in __his __eyes __but __now__ I __noticed __how__ they __mixed__ with __the__ love __he __felt __for __me._

He loves me_. __The __thought __filled __my __mind __as __he__re moved __my __shades, __truly __revealing __my__ eyes __to __him. __A__ small __smile __was __on __his __face__ briefly __but__ I __barely __noticed__ as __he __pressed __his __lips __to __mine._

I forced my eyes open as the video ended. Detective Cambridge stood across from me calmly. He picked up the phone and held it eye level as he played the video again.

"Bring back any memories?" He asked. I sighed as I clicked the video to stop.

"None that I want to remember," I told him wearily.

"Well, it doesn't matter weather or not you want to remember. What matters is that we have an unsolved murder on our hands that lead to a bigger picture in which your memories hold the key to." I didn't look at him as he leaned across the table, placing his hand on mine. I stared at it, almost surprised by the comforting gesture. I finally looked at him, his eyes softer than before. A face of a man who has seen someone in this position too many times and still hopes he or she will change. Always hoping that one day it will happen. "What happened that night in Gotham?"

I looked him in the eye; my heart beat steadying while it grew cold in the room. Flashes of that night went though my head. I shook my head, clearing it Detective Cambridge's gained a look of disappointment, as the silence grew longer and tense. His hope was gone for the day.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." I said. "We were blinded."

* * *

"They have some nerve showing up at _my_ door, trying to barge in like they own the place. I'll tell you what, as soon as they pay me 25 million dollars and maintenance for that house, I don't want those cops within twenty feet of my gate!" My mom exclaimed over the phone to my lawyer. "They handcuffed my daughter with no charges. Do you honestly expect to me to take that? That is not only a disrespect to me but to my family and my house!"

I tuned out of my mother's ranting and laid my head on the window. I closed my eyes as I thought back to what I told Detective Cambridge. We were blinded and the worst part is that I didn't realize that until I said the words out loud. I heard her sigh as she hung up the phone.

"Sorry about all that," She apologized softly. "I just hate that they took you away like that."

"I know." I said.

"Not to mention that the person they should be arresting is about to knock at the front door." She said with a glare. I looked out the window as my heart stuttered in fear. I closed my eyes, trying to relax. _Think __of __something __calming,_ I said to myself. _Think__…__think__…_a pair of playful brown eyes filled my mind and my heart slowed.

"When is he coming?" I asked timidly. My mom sighed again.

"Tonight." My heart skipped a beat and I found it hard to breath. I looked outside, desperate to know where I was. We were just outside Los Angeles.

"Stop the car." I told my mom. She slowed down with a puzzled look. I jumped out quickly and started running through the woods.

"Raven!" my mom yelled. "Raven!"

I didn't slow down or turn back to look as I ran faster away from her. Soon I was on another street, in another neighborhood. I sat on an abandoned stoop and pulled out my phone. My fingers were shaky as I dialed. I held the phone to my ear, hoping desperately that they'll pick up.

"Hello?" Roy answered. "Hello? Raven, are you there?" I tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out, only a shaky sigh. "Rae, what's going on?" I took a few more unsteady breaths. I tried to calm my heart but it refused. I could feel my heart beating in my throat as I spoke.

"He's back." I said, sounding like someone else. Someone terrified. "He's back…"

"He WHAT?" Roy yelled half an hour later. He took me to the garage and I told him about X. He ran his fingers through his hair in disbelief. "Okay, I know your dad was an ass but I never thought he would sink this low!" I shrugged helplessly, feeling numbness cover any fear I had.

"That's how he is." I said emotionless. "He gets what he wants, no matter who gets hurt." Roy grabbed my arm and pulled me up. He looked me sharply in the eye.

"Don't do that." He said. "Don't shut me out. I know you, Rae. Don't block me out to protect yourself. I'm going to protect you." He let go of me and walked through his room. I let my arm swing uselessly at my side as I felt guilt hit me. I was shutting Roy out and, whether he wants to admit it or not, it was hurting him. I was hurting him.

Again.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to force some kind of emotion into my voice as he started to clean up and checked his money.

"Helping you move in." He said. "I'm not going to have you staying there with him unprotected. I'm going home with you tonight. We're going to get your stuff and you are moving out. That's that."

"No!" I said, not forcing the alarm in my voice. I crossed the room, stopping Roy from moving. "You can't!"

"Your dad's powerful but you'll be legal soon. Even he can't beat that law."

"No!" He paused at the shrillness in my voice. I took a deep breath. "You can't because while my dad may not be able to defy federal law, he can threaten everything I care about."

"What are you talking about? Your dad doesn't know about me or this place." He said. I wiped my face in frustration.

"He knew everything from the beginning." I said. Roy froze.

"What?" He said confused.

"He knows about you, this place, the cars, he knew about…everything! He knows everything and he's using it against me to get me to marry X!" I explained to him. I watched as his face fall as he stepped closer to me with a solemn expression.

"What was the threat?" He asked. I looked down, my fear taking over me once again. I took a shaky breath as Roy placed his hands on my shoulders, massaging them gently so I could calm down. I looked at him. His face was calm. "What was the threat?" He asked again.

"He threatened to frame Vic's death on you." I said, my voice thick with tears. "He's trying to put you on death row." Roy grimaced as he slowly sat down on his bed.

"I've lived a pretty good life." He said gravely.

"No!" I exclaimed. "You are not going to jail or death row." He looked at me with despair and I looked away. "I just have to make through long enough until I can think of a way to fix this."

"I don't want to risk you." He told me intensely. I refused to meet his eyes.

"It doesn't matter." I said. "Until I find a way to break that contract…that's just the way it's going to be. I refuse to risk you or Karen or the twins or…"

"Robin," he finished for me. I nodded with tears. They weren't out of sadness exactly. They were brought by the stress and frustration from the last two days. I leaned on his shoulder, trying to share the weight of it all. Roy gladly took it as he wrapped his arm around me, kissing my temple tenderly. He sighed. "I never thought we'd end up like this."

"Why do you deal with me?" I mumbled against his shoulder.

"Because I love you." He answered simply. I looked up surprised by how easily he told me that. He shrugged. "It may not be the same way Robin does but it's just as strong. Just as strong…" He said. I tucked my head back into his shoulder once again, content and understanding of what he was saying. I leaned back on the bed, tired from the events of the last couple of days. He tucked me in and cut the lights off. He sat at the foot of my bed, almost as a lookout. A feeling of security fell over me.

While many may not understand me and Roy's relationship, we do. And that's all either of us really need right now, to know that somewhere out there in this crazy, cruel world there was someone that's willing to love you as a friend.

* * *

Roy drove me back home, dropping me off at the gate. His shades were on but I could still see the tension in his face. He looked out the window towards the mansion as I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door. I touched his arm gently. He looked down at my hand before looking up at me.

"I'll be fine." I tried to reassure him. He relaxed a bit but I could tell he was still worried. It comforted me a little to see that he cared. For a moment, it made me forget my initial fear of coming back home.

"You don't know how hard it is for me to do this." He said with strain in his voice. I looked at the mansion but my mind brought me back to a hospital. My heart felt heavy as I remembered my last few moments in the Gotham hospital as I convinced myself to leave one of the strongest loves I ever had behind. It was one of the hardest moments of my life, forcing myself to let him go.

"Maybe I do," I said softly as I came back to reality. "I'll call you when it's over." I told him. He nodded. I exited the car and he backed out the driveway slowly. I watched as the lights of the car faded into the distance, inch by inch taking my security and comfort away. I bit my lips as I punched in the code. The gate opened smooth and quiet. I walked up the expansive driveway and up the steps to a door I barely used.

It's funny how I have to use the front door to enter my nightmare.

I felt my mouth lift up slightly. I wasn't sure whether it was a grimace or a smirk but either way, it fell as I opened the door.

My mom stood tense in the foyer beside my dad. Her eyes were in a steely glare, not even daring to smile as my dad chatted politely with our…guest. My dad had his standard "Meet, greet, and get the deal" persona on. He was charming, persuasive, and in control, trying to show the person in front of him that he has everything handled correctly.

But even he couldn't hide his pained expression when my mom pulled away from him. She didn't look at him. _She refuses_, I thought, _even __now__ she__ refuses __to__ see__ what __he__ has __become._ She looked up as she heard the door open and she froze. My dad stopped talking and looked at me. His face was grim but I couldn't understand nor did I pay attention as _he _turned around to look.

My heart screamed as I took in his dark, brooding eyes. He smiled slowly at me and tried to ignore that flashes of memories as my mind remembered the last time I saw him. I struggled to keep my eyes open as he walked towards me. I forced myself not to run as he got closer. I thought back to my final night in Los Angeles when Robin saved me from Malchior.

_He__'__s__ coming__ back__ for __you!_ I heard him yelling it over and over in my mind. The same cold fear gripped me, freezing me to the floor. Only this time Robin wasn't here to sooth me. He wasn't here to save me. He couldn't drown out Malchior's words.

_He's coming back for you. He's coming back for you. He's coming back for you…_

I flinched as _he_ touched my face. I tried to breath normally but it came out shaky. He smirked at me.

"Raven," X said smoothly as his hand moved over my skin. "Nice to see you again. Still as beautiful as I remember."

"X…" I breathed. His smirk widened into a smile.

"I came back for you."

X is what many would call handsome. Some would say sexy. Others would call him beautiful. At one point and time, I thought they were right. I thought he was handsome and sexy. I thought he was beautiful…

But times have changed. Drastically.

However, my mother said it the best.

"You look like a modern Edmund." She said. My father chocked on his drink a bit. I couldn't help the quick smirk that came to my face. X just looked lost by the insult. He didn't know that one of my mother's favorite plays was _King__ Lear._He also didn't know that she hated the character Edmund because of the type of person he stood for.

Beautiful on the outside, rotten on the inside.

"So how are your business endeavors coming about?" My dad asked him. X smiled a bit, back on familiar footing as he answered.

"They've welcomed me with open arms. I've been doing a lot of make up work these past couple of years and I've guessed they've learned while I was gone-" he stared at me with a smirk- "once a good thing is gone, it's hard to get back."

"Well that's a very arrogant statement." My mom said, bring his attention back to her, for which i would be eternally grateful. My dad cleared his throat but my mom ignored him, her stare burning through X, daring him to step out of line.

"Well, when you've experienced the feeling yourself, it's a very boastful thing when others feel the same about you." My mom frowned as she took a sip of her drink. He returned his gaze back to me. I gazed down at my plate. "By the way, thank you for letting me stay here."

"Trust me, it wasn't willingly." She said.

"Why not?" X said, "Twenty five million is a good amount."

"Excuse me?" My mom said bemused.

"The agreement for Raven," X said. "It's been a while since the any payments have been made but it should still be sufficient for you and your husband. It was all in the renewal clause."

Everything froze at that one moment as I heard a glass shatter. Everyone looked at my mom shocked while she looked at my father, livid.  
"He paid to marry Raven?" She said.

"Arella-"

"You let him buy our daughter?" She screamed. I flinched at the shrillness of her voice. She had her fist balled up, looking like it was taking all of her will not to hurt my dad. _Or__ kill__ him,_ I thought as I saw how so beyond anger she was as she stared down at him. She turned back to X.

"I strongly suggest you find another place to stay. You are not welcomed here. And besides it's bad to live with the bride before the wedding, you know sex before marriage. It's a sin." She told him sharply.

"Mrs. Roth-"

"Look you walked through that door tonight unscathed. I strongly suggest you take this opportunity to remain that way. Get out!" She commanded, the threat ringing true in every word she said. X looked at her in disbelief and I couldn't help but stare at her in shock. I've never seen my mom like this.

Neither did X, which is why he took the smart approach and left. My mother continued to stare at my father as she told me, "Raven, go to your room."

I stood up silently and left the tense dining room, wondering what was going to happen next. My mom's threat if fresh now but I knew it would keep X away for long. I had to do something. But what?

As I got closer to my room, I saw my dad's office ajar. An idea quickly formed into my head as I walked in. I searched the desk quickly before picking up the contract. I pulled out my phone.

"Roy," I said, "You know people who can find loopholes, right?"

* * *

Arella looked at her husband as he opened his mouth a couple of times but no sound came out. Trent looked at her, pleading her to understand in vain. He sighed finally.

"I seemed like the best-"

"You seemed to think a lot of things have been 'best' lately." Arella said with a glare as she sat down next her husband. _My __awful, __deceptive __monster__ of __a __husband,_ She thought. "You thought it was best to send her to Gotham. You thought it was best to bring her back after the gang fiasco. You thought it would be best to being X back. You thought it was _best _to hide everything she's been doing from me. And then have the nerve to turn around on me and yell that I don't know her! You know what, you're right. I don't know her and whose fault is it?"

Trent stayed silent as she ranted, his eyes sad. She knew that look. It was even worst then the "I'm sorry, I'll do better" look. It was a look she had seen too many times, in too many situations. She placed her elbow on the table, holding her head for a moment. She's tried to avoid this moment so many times but his wrong has finally out weighted his rights and his love. They have been for years.

She was just too blind to see it.

"I am…tired, Trent." She said finally. Trent stood up quickly as he saw the resolve in his wife's eyes.

"Arella, please, don't do this." She turned to towards him, finally seeing who he's become.

"You sold our daughter." She said sharply. "The same person you said eighteen years ago you would love and protect. But, hey, why break just one promise? Why not break every vow we made twenty years ago? How come I have to find out that our daughter has been doing grand thief auto and doing drag races when you black-mailing her?"

"I just…" Trent trailed off uselessly. Arella nodded her head somberly. She chuckled bitterly but it turned into a tiny sob towards the end.

"I'm done, Trent." She said. She took the last sip of her wine before setting the glass down and standing up.

"Arella-" He stepped towards her.

"No." She said, holding her hand out to stop him from coming any closer. "I've forgiven you for a lot of things but I can't forgive you for this. You don't have my trust or my love anymore." She declared as she promptly removed the wedding band from her finger. "I'll stay until the wedding, if I can't find a way to break this engagement, but I will be staying in one of the guest rooms. I'll call a lawyer in the morning. I just…" She waved the end of the statement away. She tried to ignore the pain of what was happening as she dropped her ring on the table. Trent's face fell as he tried to find something to say to salvage his marriage. Out of all the mistakes in his life, his marriage to Arella was the only thing he got right. If he lost her…

He watched helplessly as he watched her leave the table. She was walking up the stairs when he rushed towards her. He grabbed her hand. He didn't care about the tears stinging his eyes as he gaze at his wife. Arella stood there with tears already trailing down her face with a blank expression.

"Please," He begged, growing desperate as he knelt to her. "Let me fix or find a way or something." She shook her head at him and he felt his heart drop.

"You should've thought of that earlier." She said impassively. "I told you last time that was it. I meant what I said. It's too late, Trent." She pulled her heart out of his grip. "You've lost me."

Trent felt his heart break as he watched Arella turn away from him and climb the stairs. He fell to his knees, over taken by the pain he felt as he repeated her words in his mind. He sat on the stairs, staring blankly at the ordinate and empty corridor. As he felt tears fall from his eyes. He finally lost her. After so many close calls and setback, triumphs and downfalls, it finally happened.

A part of Trent always knew this would happen, but the pain was worst than he thought. He felt as though his heart was ripped out and he was left bleeding and numbing, left to repeat the same thought.

_She__'__s __gone,_he repeated, _she__'__s __gone._

* * *

Alfred entered the small house with his arms full of luggage. He looked around the area quickly with a frown.

"Good lord, this house is a dirty." He said, dropping the luggage to the floor as he followed Robin inside. "Are you sure you shouldn't clean up a bit?"

"A bit of dust never hurt anybody." Robin said easily as he went to the nearest window. Alfred frowned at his nonchalant attitude.

"Yes, it has." he responded. "Especially someone in your condition." He watched as Robin tried to open the window, grunting as he put more effort into it. Alfred sighed as he pulled up his sleeves and walked over to help push open the stubborn window. Robin grimaced at the sudden gust of wind that blew against his face as it lifted. He could've sworn that window was easier to open.

"Master Richard," Alfred called. He looked over at him. "While you have been having a very productive recovery, you are still fragile. Are you sure you are ready to live on your own?" Robin rolled his eyes at the question. If he he had to hear that question one more time, he was going to loose it! He restrained himself from banging his head on the wall out of pure frustration as he addressed the butler.

"Alfred, please," Robin said wearily. "I've done everything I've had to do. I've done well in physical therapy. I've checked with my doctor. Bruce said it was okay…I've been doing everything everyone said should. All I want to do now is be somewhere where I can frown or mope without hurting anyone's feelings. By myself." Robin turned away from Alfred as he stared out the big window. Alfred frowned at Robin's aloof attitude.

"So you're telling me you don't want anyone here with you," Alfred said. Robin rested his face against the window's frame for a moment. He took a deep breath as he thought back to _her_ and sighed.

Raven has haunted Robin's thought for the past three months. She was in his dreams, in his thoughts whenever there was a lull in conversation, he couldn't even close his eyes for too long before picturing her. He thought about how she looked when he would chase her, when she was mad, when she was scared, or worst, when she was happy. He opened his eyes as her smile crossed his thoughts.

"What do you want me to say?" Robin said, finally turning to him. Alfred was silent at the pained expression on Robin's face. "Yes, I miss her. I've been missing her. And the worst part is that I don't know where she is or what she's doing or if she's even okay. It's like she dropped off the face of the world and I'm stuck going crazy because of it."

"Well, you are you're father's child." Alfred said. "When you love, _truly_ love, you love hard. I only wished that you wouldn't suffer the same pain he did." Robin looked back out the window.

"Me too." He said quietly. He didn't watch as Alfred arranged his luggage before walking to the door.

"Goodbye, Master Richard." He said before leaving. Richard let out a breath of relieve as he finally allowed himself to feel his misery. He closed his eyes, leaning his head on the window again. He let his thoughts roam. Raven invaded every one as he repeated the last time he saw her.

He thought over the tears in her eyes, the desperation in her kiss, and the way she didn't look back when she left. He didn't want her to. It would've been too painful to handle, to see the regret in her eyes. His thoughts eventually shifted to more torturous thoughts as he thought back to spring break and the whole week he had her to himself.

He remembered the way he made love to her. The way her hands felt on his skin, how surprisingly shy she was during the first time. Most of all, he remembered the peaceful look on her face the next morning. He remembered it all and he could almost whispering _I __love__ you_ against his skin once again. His eyes shot open, hoping for a moment that he would see her lovely face.

But instead, he only saw the sunset.

He bit back a small sob at the pain that ripped his through his chest. He closed his eyes again, listening to the waves crash around him and the smell of the ocean filled his nose as he thought of her once again.


	30. Ball And Chain

_Ball And Chain_

Stepping back into the role of X's…"fiancé" was surreal. Every time I was around him, I had to force myself not to run away, remembering that Robin and Roy depended on this. So I just sucked it up and walked by him. Yet, I couldn't help but flinch every time he touched me. It just felt so…_wrong_. It felt like a disease, a threat, every time I felt his hand on my skin.

There would be times when I would forget why I was afraid of him. I would feel even ridiculous for feeling that way. I was stronger now; what could he do? Not to mention, my mom is watching him like a hawk. Why should I be afraid? The feeling would stay as I would walk down stairs but it would all change when he would look at me with his signature smirk. I would remember.

And I was afraid again.

* * *

"You two are such a beautiful couple." The lady said with a smile. I barely smiled back, slightly stepping away from X when he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to his side. The lady's smile became perplexed at the exchanged but X brought her attention back to him.

"Thank you. We appreciate the compliment." He said smoothly. I looked down, so that she wouldn't see the disgust in my eyes. "You'll have to forgive her. She's been a little under the weather with the injury and all."

"Oh, of course." The lady said, her eyes filling with understanding. "I hope you get better soon. Congrats on the engagement."

"Thank you," I said feebly as she walked away. X didn't look at me as she left but I could see the grimness in his face.

"If you insist on embarrassing me, I suggest you stop now." He said, deadly calm. I ignored the nervous tremble I called a heartbeat.

"I'm tired." I told him, stoically. "I'm ready for the charade to be over."

"What charade?" He said casually. "We're at our engagement party. You survived your injury and are getting stronger every day. We should be living it up and instead you're here moping."

"Well, I'm tired of smiling and acting like it's okay that I'm marrying a monster." I said bitingly as I pulled my hand out his grip. He chuckled like I knew he would. He always got a kick out of my insults.

"That's funny." He said, his smirk returning. "However, you might want to mind your mannerisms. They might get you in trouble one of these days." I glared at him.

"You're not my keeper." I said, quiet but firm. "You don't own me." He tilted his head slightly and brushed his hand from my temple to my chin. My skin crawled under his touch as he tipped my chin up so I could see how he stood over me. I tried not to show the panic in my as he smiled at me.

"Not yet."

* * *

_It was 2 years ago. I was sixteen and still innocent. I had no idea what happens in the next possible hour would change everything for me. It would define me. It would give me a new fear. But I was oblivious and invincible. _

_And I was furious._

"_I can't believe you." I hissed at X. "You have the nerve to stand there after acknowledging that everything in our relationship was a lie…and act like everything is fine?"_

"_Well, if you never got into my business, this would've never happened." X said nonchalantly. "Next time, remember to stay in your place next time." I scoffed in disbelief._

"_My__ place?__" __I__ said__ incredulously.__ "__Excuse __me,__but__ you__'__re__ in _my _house __and _my _room. __If __anyone __is__ out __of __place, __it__'__s __you. __And__ you__'__re __not __the __one __financing __your __little__ stay.__"_

"_Careful how you talk to me, Raven," He said grimly. "You might end up regretting it." I rolled my eyes, brushing off the threat._

"_Enough already!" I exclaimed. "This is not the 1800's in Japan, X. You don't own me-"_

"_Not yet." He cut in. I stopped short, shocked by the blunt comment. The only time I ever heard someone say anything like that to me was my father. It slightly burned me to know I was nothing but a pretty piece for him to own. A pawn in his game. Who was this guy? Not my X. Not the guy that I…wait, what am I talking about? I don't even love him. So, why am I dealing with this?_

"_So this marriage is nothing but I deal to you. A way for you to claim some property and retire early." I said deadpan. "Well then, it's a good thing I'm calling off the wedding." He narrowed his eyes at me. A pang of fear hit me. The way he glared at me hinted a danger I didn't know and, though I wouldn't admit it, a danger I wasn't ready for. I would never be. But I refused to show that he had any effect on me. Especially when he spoke._

"_I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right." He said calmly. "You said something about the wedding but it couldn't have been about canceling it. If nothing else, then for one fact: it's not over until I say it is. You're not ending this." He said with menace. I push my back my growing terror and glared back at him._

"_Watch me," I said. I started to push past him when he grabbed my arms, stopping me. He pushed me back in front of him. I tried to tear myself away from his grip, surprised at how tight it was._

"_Get off me!" I exclaimed. He tightened his grip until I felt like my bones were grinding together. He shook me as I tried to pull away. _

"_That was always your problem." He said to me. "You always wanted to act like you were in control. Guess what? I'm the only one in control!" He rattled me until I was dizzy before dropping me._

"_Say whose in charge, Raven," He commanded. I looked at him, flinching back from the crazed look in his eyes. "Say it!" I stayed silent, frozen in shock. X growled before pulling me up to my feet. _

_I felt the punch before I could see it._

_I fell to the ground, immediately feeling the pain through my shock. I pushed myself, readying myself to fight when he grabbed my arm. He pulled me and I landed against the wall. He twisted my arm behind my back. I bit my lip but a cry of pain escaped as he ground my head into the wall. I crawled at the wall, trying to think of how to get out of this. But my mind was panicking and scattered. I heard someone screaming, but it took me a moment to realize it was me. I felt X grip loosen for a moment but before I could do anything, he had me pressed back against the wall, chocking me._

"_Still feel on top?" He asked. "Huh? You still feel like you're in charge?" I gasp as he started to strangle me at the very top of my neck, right under my jaw, where it hurt the most. I brought my hand down on his face and started clawing at his face. He was surprised and his grip loosened for a moment. I tore out of his arms, running across the room towards the door. Before I could get too far, I felt something hit the side of my head. I tumbled to the ground, dizzy once again. I felt the side of my head with trembling fingers. Felt something sticky and looked at my fingers. My eyes widened as I stared at the blood on my fingertips. My blood. _

_I started to crawl towards the door, frantic to escape. Before I could make it even two feet, I felt X dragging me back. I screamed as he did. He flipped me over and punched me in the mouth. He straddled me so I was pinned down under him._

"_Shut up!" He yelled. I saw him belt in his hand. That must have been what he hit me with. He began hitting me again. I could feel his hands and his belt everywhere. My arms, my face, my chest…everywhere. I struggled not to choke on the blood that filled my mouth. He breathed heavily as he beat me. I don't know what snapped inside of me but I began to fight back. I started to hit his face, punch him back in the chest before he finally throws the belt aside to grab my hands._

"_Get off!" I screamed. I spat in his face. He slammed me down, holding my wrist in on hand as he grabbed my throat again._

"_Maybe it's time I really teach you how to submit." He said lowly. I stared at him defiantly, thinking it would only be another hit._

_At__ least __I __did, __until__he __started __tearing__ at __my__ shirt. _No, _I __thought.__ I__ squirmed __against __him __as __he __touched __my __stomach. __He __was __still __gripping __my __wrist __as __he __moved __to __my__ pants._

"_No!" I said, trembling with fear. "X stop! Please! Don't…no!" I screamed. But like my screams from earlier, they went unheard. He pinned my hands under me as he started to remove my clothes. Every time I screamed or yelled he would hit me again, the pain of every hit overlapping with the next blow. I felt the tears running down my face as the inevitable started to sink in. I closed my eyes, turning away as I felt him start to unbutton my jeans._

_The next thing I heard was the door bust open followed with a frenzy of motion. I refused to open my eyes, even as I felt his weight being lifted from me. I heard someone being hit and I felt hands touch me gently. I screamed as I turned away from them, curling into myself. Then I realized that it was my mom's voice. I opened my eyes halfway. I saw my mom's horrified face first. She looked me up and down. For a moment, I wondered how I looked and hoped I wouldn't see a mirror any time soon. She looked at me, frozen and overwhelmed as far as I could see through my blurry vision. I closed my eyes, shutting out the look as the tears poured on._

_It would be a month before I even speak again and another year before the nightmares would fade._

* * *

I snapped out of the memory as my mom slammed close the cabinets in the kitchen. I sat and watched as she familiarized herself with the guesthouse. It's been a little more than five weeks since X moved back into our lives and my mother moved out the main house. The guest wasn't more than a 5-10 minute walk away but the true distance between my parents was much father than that.

The morning my mom told me about the divorce, I couldn't help but be surprised. For years I've told her to leave him. A part of me knew that it would happen eventually. But to _see _it…I almost couldn't help but regret that I was right. I almost regret that it was me who had to unmask my father for who he was, despite how much she needed to know. Was it only a few months ago in April that she was telling about how she didn't want to live without him?

And now she was leaving him.

She took out her favorite teacups and set it on the counter in front of me. She stared at them for a moment before putting them back. I raised an eyebrow as she took out a set of brown coffee mugs that she rarely ever used.

"No tea today?" I asked cautiously. She shook her head.

"You need something to keep you awake anyway." She said distractedly. I didn't point out that she used those teacups for coffee before or that she didn't even like coffee that much to get mugs for it. I just sat quietly as she brew the coffee. She moved around the kitchen, cleaning a mess that wasn't there. My eyes followed her constant movements. Her pace was hurried and absentminded at the same time. The movement of a person who doesn't want to think about what they're doing.

"Mom," I called softly. She turned to me with a small smile.

"Yes, sweetie?" I looked at her, not sure why I called her but just hoping that she would pause for a moment. After a few seconds, I could see her tapping her fingers impatiently. The silence became awkward. I looked away. She returned to her moving. We both jumped when the coffee machine beeped, announcing the coffee was done. My mom poured the drinks, handing me mine, and we moved out to the balcony that over looked the small garden and backyard.

I heard my mom sigh into the breeze. I looked at her. She was staring at somewhere far away. I followed her gaze and frowned. She was looking at the main house.

"It's weird to be on this side after all these years." She said casually as she stared at her old home before she self-exiled herself.

"So, it's really happening." I said, not looking away from her. She didn't look at me. "You two are really getting a divorce." Her mouth became a grim line. _Yes._ The unspoken word hung in the air between us.

"I need to ask Glenn to help me sort through the furniture here." She said quietly. "Some thing got mixed up between my stuff and the stuff from the house." I stared at her before setting my cup of coffee down.

"Mom," She turned to me and I saw the same pained expression she had when she first announced the news. It was fragile and bruised, shocked at her own words. She took a quick sip of her coffee and grimaced.

"Needs creamer," she said. She stood up and went to the kitchen. I followed her. She was looked through the cabinets once again. I leaned against the kitchen island, watching her.

"Why did you put the teacups back?" I asked her. Finally, she froze. She turned to me, surprised by the question. "You love those cups. They're your favorite. You use them all the time. That was the first time I ever saw you just put them back." My mom looked down at her hands. She took a deep breath.

"Those cups were a wedding gift." She told me solemnly. I flinched, instantly regretting that I asked. "I've had those cups for twenty years. The good, the bad…I had them from every house that I lived in since…but now with…everything that's going on, I'd rather not have them or even look at them. I bet _he_ told them to put them in here." She rolled her eyes before starting to look for the creamer again.

Another thing my mom didn't do anymore was say my dad's name. She would say "your father" or "that one over there" or her favorite "_he.__"_ She said, or really spat, the word as if it was the deepest insult she could give you and she was even disgusted that she had to waste her breath saying it.

I'm sure in her mind, it was and it did.

It was my turn to look at my hands as I spoke.

"I thought you didn't want to live without him." I said.

"Well, that was before I knew it meant risking you." She snapped. I looked up at her startled at her tone. She locked her gaze with mine. "Don't for think that for a moment you were more important to me than _him_. I don't pride myself for being the best mother in the world but I'll be damn if I just step aside and let him use you like this." She crossed her arm and took a few breaths to calm down.

"Your…_he_ and I were already on the edge." She said. "I told him if he pushed me to this point, that would be it. We'd be over. But you know him. He loves to push. And now he's pushed our relationship over the edge, me along with it. Now I'm conflicted with the fact that I'm in love with a man that isn't there anymore. Instead, the only thing I get is his face. I get his hair, his eyes, and his daughter who worries too much about what she can't control." She spared me a small smile before sighing.

"I've mixed those two up so much…I fell in love with both. And now I get neither. And yes, it hurts. It feels like one part of my heart has been ripped and shredded until it disappeared in the slightest wind. I sometimes wake up feeling hallow and cold and I don't know what to do. It reminds me of when I would see you run through the garden for hours on end. I feel like if I keep running, eventually I would forget or maybe find my husband again…"

A silence fell over us as she trailed off. I saw the weary, tired lines in my mother's face and finally realized that I was more like my mother than I thought. We both fell in love with tragedies and we both lost. Mine to distance, hers to time.

I wondered which one was worst.

* * *

"Raven, wake up." I heard X hiss at me. I was instantly brought back from my thoughts to the present. We were at another engagement party. When you're wealthy, it's not your engagement. It 's everyone you know's engagement. You're just the one with the ring. I didn't even try to keep up to who or where the party was. They were the same extravagant, mundane routine. The only thing that changed for me was the dress I was wearing.

I looked around. Everyone was looking at me. I looked at the head of the table. Someone, one of X's friends, was standing and looking at me and X expectantly. He smiled at them encouragingly.

"Well, I'm so glad you guys are now back together. I mean, come on, aren't they just gorgeous?" The guests clapped and I forced a small, shy smile to my face. "I wish you guys the best and hope you, mister," the speaker pointed to X, "stay out of trouble." A small wave of laughter went through the crowd. "Congrats, you guys." He concluded, sitting back down.

"Thank you," X said. "I'm flattered. My fiancé and I really appreciate it." He looked at me. To everyone else, it was a sweet, loving gaze. To me, it was a warning and cue to smile, maybe even blush. I made myself smile a little more. He moved his face closer to mine and kissed my cheek. I clenched my fist as I tried to keep my cool.

"Relax," He said lowly. "You're so tense." I wanted to push away in disgust as he smirked, thinking he was being seductive. The crowd applauded, like usual.

I fixed my face that I was still smiling but it felt just as torturous as the last and all I wanted to do was run. X's eyes narrowed as he saw this. My smile dropped a little as I saw a familiar look in his eyes. He was angry.

And I was going to pay.

* * *

We drove home about an hour later. X and I sat on opposite sides of the backseat, not looking at each other. The driver was mindful enough to alternate between looking at the road and me and X in the back, just as my mom instructed. X pressed the button that closed off the driver's view and cursed. I almost wanted to smirk as he jabbed at the useless button. He didn't know the driver had it disabled t before we even began our tour of engagement parties, another instruction from my mother.

I looked at his tense reflection in my window. He tapped his knee, his eyes narrowed, glaring to the world outside. I lowered my eyes to my hands. They began to tremble a bit but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I closed my eyes, remembering the phone call from earlier.

"There's no progress. Yet." Roy added as an afterthought. "Your dad was right when he said his parents could make a good contract. There seems to be a clause for every loophole I can think of." I massaged my temples as I tried to stay calm.

"How bad is it?" I asked. I heard Roy sigh.

"When's the wedding?" He asked.

"3 more months."

"I don't know if we can break it before then." I ignored the way my heart dropped as I leaned on my dresser. I closed my eyes, thinking of how bad it is now with X, with all my mom's protection. After the wedding she won't be able to protect me and I already knew that this would be a long, hard, cold marriage, no matter how short it was. "Raven? You still there?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Don't worry. I'm going to handle it. Even if I have to hide you for a while..." He started to explain but I tuned him out. I didn't need to hear his plan to "save" me again. It won't make anything easier.

I hung up, despite the fact that he was still speaking. I knew he wouldn't call back. I leaned forward and sighed. I was tired of hearing the false hope that this could change. That someone could come in at the last minute and save me.

There was no happy ending for me. Truthfully, I didn't deserve one. I just wish it didn't hurt everyone I cared about.

I opened my eyes and saw that we were home. I felt my heart start to pick up at the sight, at the possibility of being safe. I looked at X and saw the murderous look in his eyes and my heart started to beat for an entirely different reason.

X exited the car, coming around to open my door. He held his hand out. I swallowed my fear as I took it. He was gentle as he helped my out. I was tense as he held it, slightly quickening my steps towards the house. My mom and dad were waiting on the opposite sides of the stairs for us, as usual when we went out.

My mom was looking at me head-to-toe, making sure nothing was out of place. I kept my face in check, masking my fear, trying to not worry her any further. My dad stared at her silently. This was the only time my mother allowed herself to enter the house and the reason why my dad encouraged so many parties.

Anything to catch the slightest glimpse of my mother.

It didn't matter. She still refused to talk or look at him. He never said anything to try and change her mind. He just stared at her and hoped that one maybe she would turn around and really _look_ at him…

"How was the party?" my mom asked sternly. I peaked at X. His scowl was put away and, instead, a tired but satisfied look on his face. Even I almost believed him.

"It was good." I answered. "But tiring. I'm going to bed."

"I walk you up." X said. I sharply turned to him.

"No." My mom snapped.

"There going to be married soon. Raven should get use to him being near her for more than a couple hours at a party." My dad said gently. My mom's eyes narrowed into a menacing glare that was meant for my father as she gauged my reaction. I just kept my eyes downcast, refusing to get in the middle of their problems. We stayed like that in an uncomfortable silence for a minute until I chose to break it.

"I'm going up to my room either way." I said, stepping away from X. He caught my hand again. I was surprised by the tenderness in the gesture.

"I'll go with you." He said, sounding just as tired. I looked at him wearily before nodding. Just as my father said, I did need to get use to how it would be to be alone with him. And the fear of what could possibly happen behind closed doors was killing me. I needed to know what would happen.

X didn't hesitate to show me as we walked out my mother's sight. His grip tightened suddenly, bending my wrist up painfully. I winced.

"Ouch." I let out.

"Shut up." He snapped under his breath. His pace quivkened and he was soon dragging me to my room. He opened my door and threw me inside the room. I stumbled a bit but caught myself before I fell. I turned around. He closed the door until only a sliver of the hallway showed, muffling any of the noise made but not obscuring it completely. He knew my mother would've heard the door close and would've come up, suspicious of what was going on. This way, he could say what he wanted to say with no interruptions.

Smart man.

He pushed me onto my bed and I automatically shielded myself with my arm. He grabbed my arm and gave me a withering glare.

"You're pushing your limits again, Raven."

"I'm tired-"

"Shut up!" He snapped again. I flinched back from him, pushing him away from me. He stumbled a couple steps away from me.

"Get away from me." I said. He looked at my neck; his gaze landing on a pendent my mother gave me a few years ago. He picked the pendent and held it in his hand. He looked at me calmly a he spoke.

"You know what long necklace's are good for?" he asked me. I didn't get a chance to answer as he gripped the necklace and yanked me foreword. I caught myself before I fell off the bed. He leaned down in front of me. "It's also good for this." He clasped the chain at the top of my throat so he was chocking me. I clawed at his hands as it became harder to breathe.

"Now, I don't mind that loathing insults, the constant glares, or even how you make every attempt to try and get away from me. It's actually quite amusing, so I allow it. It's when you start acting up in public-" he tightened the chain and I winced-"that's where I have the problem. I refuse to be made a fool of, Raven."

He let go suddenly. I would've toppled on top of him had he not grab my arms, stopping me in the process. I jerked away from him but his hold was firm. He pushed me back so that I was sitting up on the bed. He let me go and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. I shuddered at him touch, thinking I would be sick.

"Just think of this as review of the last lesson I taught you." He said. He turned and walked to the door. I sat dumbfounded as I watched him leave. Right as he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned back to say, "Let's hope you learn this time." He left, closing the door behind him and trudging down the hall to the leave.

I sat on my bed and felt my neck. There was no real pain and he didn't choke me enough to leave a bruise behind but it could've been a lot worst. And he was willing to do so. But as I thought of that, my heart didn't slam against my ribs in fear. My hands didn't tremble as they gripped the sheets. I wasn't afraid of the threat.

I was actually pissed.

* * *

The next day, sunlight hit my face strongly and my eyes snapped open, my mind filled with hazy and colorful images. I blinked, getting use to the change in light but other than that I remained motionless. My body felt heavy and tired, like it did after running through the garden for hours on end.

Running…I closed my eyes again as I remembered my dream. The dream itself, I remembered, was pretty simply. I was running though a garden. It felt like a maze with bright red and yellow flowers. Then I remembered seeing different colors like sea green, sandy brown, sapphire…I was at a beach. I remember now. I was looking for something in the garden and somehow it led me to a beach.

I sat up as a picture of Robin came to my mind. I sighed, looking down at the sheets. Of course I was dreaming of Charleston. I was thinking of the beach before I went to sleep. I started to wonder what happened to Robin again but I quickly grew frustrated.  
I was tired of wondering. I wanted to _know_.

I quickly riffled through a few of my drawers. I grew frantic, as I didn't see it. I was sure I brought it here. I was _sure_. Before I could panic too much, I spotted the silver edge gleaming in the sunlight, hidden under the package from Aunt Ann. I quickly pulled it from the drawer and held in the air, the sun glinting off it.

I looked at the key Robin gave me, way back in February, on Valentine's Day. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he held me in his home, eating ice cream with me. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he was holding out flowers to me, telling the meaning of each except the red tulip (which I later found out was a declaration of love), and softly told me, _you__'__ll __know__ someday._ Was it really only 6 months ago that it happened?

"Was it only 6 months?" I asked the key softly. It only twisted silently in the sunlight. I twirled it absentmindedly as I pondered. Should I?

I let the necklace fall in my other hand and I closed my hand around it, holding it tightly.

"Yes." I answered myself, the word hanging in the air as I made my decision.

* * *

A week later, early in the morning, I was stirring something in my coffee when my dad trudged down the stairs in his robe. He didn't look at me as he went to the kitchen island, where Glenn placed his breakfast in front of him. He stared silently at it for a moment.

He's been doing that for a while.

It had been this way since mom left. Every morning, he would shuffle down the stairs in his robe, unkempt and sleepy, to get his breakfast and just stare at it. He would stare at a lot of things, mostly without realizing it. He would be talking about something and then stare off at something. I knew he wasn't really seeing anything but more of looking _for_ something. Like he got stuck in the maze of his life and the air held the answers, only he couldn't see nor decipher them.

I'll admit, it was strange to see him without her. I never realized how often mom was at his side. Now with her gone, he looked lost. It was harder for him to focus on one specific thing, from business conversations to even dressing himself. It's strange to see how much her absence affected him. He use to be a powerful, seemingly invincible businessman who was never unclean, never unprepared.

Now I could barely recognize him.

"Dad," I called softly. His head snapped in my direction. He scrunched his eyes up as if to see me more clearly. They relaxed as the recognition set in.

"Oh, it's you." He said softly. I didn't take offense to the statement, surprising myself a little. We were both quiet as he came to the table and sat next to me. He ate his breakfast and I stared down at my coffee.

"I think I need to get away for a bit." I said, breaking the oppressing silence. The room seemed to freeze as my father stopped eating and looked at me.

"What do you mean get away?" he said skeptically. I sighed as pushed my coffee away from me. I looked at my father, showing no fear, only sincerity.

"I need time away from all this. Away from this house and these parties and all the pity and congrats…I'm tired of being here, stuck in the same routine for almost three months. I need some time to think, to breathe on my own." My dad sighed, shaking his head. Then he gave me a look that I was surprised to see. Was that a look of…pity?

"It won't make it easier." He told me. "Going out there, going back to whatever you had before. Living the life you once had…it won't make it easier. It'll only haunt you and make it harder to come back."

"I'll be back in time for the wedding." I snapped. "I'm not breaking the deal." He looked at me cautiously, scrutinizing my expression for a lie. When he didn't find one, he nodded.

"Very well," he said. "I'll give you two weeks. No later, no sooner. You will be back in exactly fourteen days. If you're late, I'll take that as a breach in contract and go through with I said I would do. Do you understand?"

"Yes." I answered. He relaxed then and began to eat once more.

"Your clock starts tomorrow when you leave. I'll tell X after you leave. Make sure you tell your mother…" he trailed off suddenly, no longer eating but instead staring off to the wall. I stood up carefully, taking my cold coffee to the kitchen before heading to the guesthouse.

My mom took it as well as I thought she would. She nodded calmly as I explained why I wanted to go.

"You need it," she said. She smiled softly. "I'll miss you but I hope you have some fun before you have to some back to all this." She said gesturing to everything around her. I nodded in agreement. She tapped her fingers on the table absentmindedly and we fell into a comfortable silence.

"Will you really leave?" I asked her after a while. "Will you leave…this place?" _Will __you __really__ leave__ him?_The unspoken question hung in the air between us. She nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she said. "There's nothing here for me anymore. All the glitz and glamour…it's not for me anymore." She said, a shadow falling over her face. I placed my hand on top of hers for comfort.

"I'm sorry, mom." I told her. She turned her hand over and squeezed mines gently. Her eyes became watery with tears but I knew she wouldn't cry. She just continued to blink them back and squeeze my hand tighter.

"Me too," she said quietly, her voice rough with tears, "Me too."

That night I packed a suitcase quickly, taking all the essentials with me. I walked into the garage and checked to see which car would be the best to drive. At a few minutes to midnight, I was ready. I walked the ten minutes to the guesthouse and slept there for the night.

I woke up around seven, quickly saying goodbye to my mom, before heading back to the main house. I went to put my suitcase in the trunk and my father was there waiting in the doorway of the garage. I walked over the driver's side.

"Two weeks." He called out, reminding me once again of my deadline.

"I know." I replied as I got in. He opened the garage and I sped out of it and down the driveway. Soon I was outside of Los Angeles and, even sooner, on the highway. I didn't let myself think about how wrong I could be or how my father could be right.

I just hoped he would be there, somehow waiting for me.


	31. Borrowed Time

**A****/N: **First chapter of the new year! Yes, the story is winding down at this point. There are only a couple more chapters (Crazy, I know) to go so I hope you hold on for that. This is my belated Valentine's Day gift to my faithful readers. The chapter's a little longer than I wanted but I still...

Anyway, enjoy! And Happy (belated) Valentine's Day! =)

* * *

_Borrowed Time_

The cottage looked the same as it did back in April. The temperature was higher and it looked different at night but other than that, nothing had changed. It had the same quietly, homey look with the same ocean stretched out behind it. I breathed in the salty air before stepping out the car. A small part of me was relieved to be in a place where I really felt safe, exhausted from the last .

After leaving Los Angeles, I drove straight to San Diego International Airport, boarding a plane to Atlanta. Roughly five hours and a very uneasy nap later, I landed and right outside waiting for me was Roy with my car.

"How was the trip?" I asked him casually. He gave me a relieved smirk.

"Like a dream," he told me. "I might like this one better than the Aero. A Bugatti Veyron Super Sport…how did you even have time to get this?"

"Like I always tell you, being a billionaire heiress has its perks." I told him as he handed me the keys. He grabbed my bag and put it in the trunk. "Just be happy you're the first person to drive it." He chuckled and followed me to the driver's side, opening the door for me.

He held it open as he asked, "And where exactly are you jetting off to this time?"

"A safe zone." I told him. "A place I can stay and relax and think without my father knowing." He scowled at my vague answer.

"Why must you be so difficult?" He asked with a look of disapproval.

"I have to hit the road, Roy." I said, trying not to show how anxious I was to get there. Roy sighed before closing the door. He stepped back as I reversed the car and turned to get out the parking lot. Just before I left, I lowered the window.

"Roy," I called. He looked up at me. "Charleston." I ignored his bemused expression as I sped out the parking lot and onto the highway.

And now I was here.

I walked slowly up the stairs, looking around. The house was quiet with no sign of _him_ being here. My heart almost skipped in fear but I took a deep breath. _Open the door,_ I told myself. _That's the only you'll really know._ I took my necklace off, putting the key in the lock and turning it slowly, opening the door.

The inside was dark, save for the square of moonlight coming from the window. I moved around quickly, peaking into the rooms, looking in the kitchen. The beds looked made and untouched, the kitchen mostly empty. I looked around the living room.

It looked the same as it did the day I left.

I walked towards the window and peered out of it, the full moon was shining on the calm, black water. I stared at it, thinking of the last time I looked out this window, looked at this water…I sighed into the night.

It was too quiet. Robin wasn't here and hasn't been for weeks. I knew I should've gone to Gotham. Why did I come here? I slumped against the window seal, tired from the long journey here. _All a waste_, I thought shaking my head, tears gathering in my eyes. It's over. It's done. It's-

Suddenly, light flooded the room. I turned around quickly in surprise and gasped. Standing in the doorway with a bag of groceries under his arms, was Robin. We froze, both of us afraid that this was some weird dream that would end too soon. I felt my hands tremble a bit with anticipation for either of us to say something, _anything_. He was right here! Robin was finally right in front of me and all I could do was stare, not sure what to do.

I finally forced myself to step forward, as if to make sure this wasn't a dream. He stepped back. I stopped, confused by the reaction. Robin looked shell-shocked, like I was a ghost. Or a nightmare.

"This isn't good." He said. "This really isn't good." I raised an eyebrow as he went to the kitchen to put the groceries. I walked forward once again, slower this time.

"Robin," I called out. My voice sounded strange, scared almost. His head snapped towards me. "It's me. I'm here-"

"You need to leave."

"What?" I said in disbelief, looking at him to see if he was some how joking. His face was all hard lines as he looked at me.

"You have to leave. You're not supposed to be here, Raven. You…you have to leave." I froze, feeling cold as I saw the pained look he had as he said this. I stepped closer and he stepped back once more.

"You say this as you don't want me here." I said feeling numb once again. He wiped his face in frustration.

"Look, I'm not stupid, Raven." Robin said, "I know about the fiancé and I know that your dad must have some kind of leverage over you to convince you to marry, which means it's too dangerous for you to be here with me. I'm sorry but I'm taking caution with this one. I'm not risking you, not again." I placed my hands on the island in between us, shocked and frustrated at the same time.

"Are you serious? I-I've driven hours and took a plane half way across the country to see you and the first thing you're going to tell me is get out?"

"For your own good," He said coldly. I narrowed my eyes at him, unable to ignore how hard the pain of his words hit me. How could he say this to me?

"My own good." I said flatly. "You mean the same good that pointed a gun at you in the dead of winter. Or the other time right before spring break, when I almost pulled the trigger. Or how about the time we both got shot!"

"Don't go there!" He yelled, his breathing heavy with anger. "Yes, the same 'good' as all those things. The same things that could've been avoided if we just took the time to think! I had to watch them shoot you! I had to watch them dump you on the street while I was too weak to do anything! You don't how much that killed me inside. Then right when I thought we were safe we were okay, you were ripped away from me!"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "I was ripped away from you and know I'm forced to get married because everyone I care is on the line if I don't! But I'm willing to risk all of that to at least see you! I didn't come all the way done here to argue with you. I came to see if you were okay. I don't have time for this!" I was breathing heavy by the time I stopped talking.

Robin stopped what he was doing, gripping the counter, looking lost and confused. I reached out cautiously, touching the back of his hand. He flinched as I did but I could feel him relaxing a little. I took his hand away from the counter and turned him to me. I ran my hand up his arm until I was cupping his face. He continued to look down but I brought my other hand to his face, tilting it up.

His eyes cautiously met mine.

A spark went off inside me and I wanted to sink into him, into his arms. He gasped as our eyes met. I almost did too. It's been too long since I've seen the spark in his eyes, the way he looked at my lips…the way his eye bore into mine. It was almost too intense. My hands tingled as I slowly traced his face with my fingers. I never looked away from his deep brown eyes as I let my hand roam over his cheeks, his chin, and hover over his lips.

"I'm here." I repeated. He shook his head, still scared.

"I can't…" He trailed off. I made him look at me again. He looked at me, afraid and unsure. The look reminded me of when we were in California, alone on a cliff. I had the same look and, just like he did, not sure what would happen next. And just like he did, I guided him closer to me. I spotted a look of gratitude in his eyes right before he kissed me.

He pressed his lips against mine desperately, crushing me against him. I pulled him tighter against me as I kissed him just as frantically. Our hands roamed over each other, reminding ourselves of what we had been missing. And for the first time in three months, I _felt_ something. Every emotion that was bottled up inside me poured out, overwhelming me until tears were falling out my eyes. He cupped my face, wiping them away without ever breaking away from me. I wound my arms around his neck, twisting my fingers in his hair, as he lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his torso as he carried me to the bedroom. I bit at his lips as he laid me gently on the bed.

He pulled away so that he could kiss my neck and I pulled him against me once again, clawing at his back. I her him groan and bite down on my neck. My eyes rolled back a bit and my hands trembled in anticipation. I pulled his face away from my neck and crushed my lips to his; trying to remind myself that this wasn't a cruel dream.

This was real.

* * *

I stared out over the ocean as dawn came, turning the sky a light purple and the barest edge of the sky a deep orange. The breeze blew softly against my face and I sighed, closing my eyes. Despite how trapped I was in my life, I couldn't help but feel that I was free again.

"You scared me for a sec." I opened my eyes and turned to Robin, who was standing in the doorway to the back porch. He stepped outside and walked over to me. "I thought for a second that it wasn't real. You weren't really here. It was just some sick, twisted dream." He smirked as he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Then I noticed my shirt was gone." I laughed lightly as he sat down next to me.

"It's very comfortable." I told him, curling my feet under me. We both stared at the sunrise. I was staring at the glimmering water when he said, "Is it crazy to hope that I tormented your thoughts as much as you've tormented mine?" I shook my head with a small smile.

"The first couple of months I got back home, I would run through the garden for hours trying not to think of you until I fell and couldn't get up. You were constantly on my mind." I looked up at him, taking in the beauty of his face in the dim light. "I didn't think you had time to wonder about me."

"You were all I could think about." He confessed to me softly, the crashing waves almost drowning him out. "I couldn't run from the thought of you. Honestly, when I saw you, I thought you weren't real. I thought I finally snapped and I was imagining that you were there." He looked at me, his eyes meeting my gaze with a gentle look.

"How bad is it?" He asked. I sighed, looking back at the sunrise. The first sliver of the sun was beginning to show.

"Bad." I told him. He nodded, knowing that was all I could really bear to tell him, not wanting to taint this beautiful morning. He just took my hand, intertwining our fingers together. He sighed quietly, looking away from the sun down to stare at our hands. The moment grew quiet, even the waves seemed to calm a bit. I stared at his thoughtful face.

His cheeks were more hallow. With the excitement of last night gone, his eyes seemed a little dimmer. The spark he had wasn't completely gone but instead…hidden. I hesitated a bit before touching his face. He closed his eyes immediately at my touch, turning his face into my palm. I felt my skin jump slightly as I felt his breath against it. _Now wasn't a time for hesitation_, I reminded myself.

"'_Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn…'" _he whispered against my skin. He opened his eyes then. "How long do we have?"

"12 days," I told him. He stood and pulled me to him. I steadied myself in his arms, placing my hands on his shoulders before sliding them to his chest. I closed my eyes so I could focus on the heartbeat under my right hand. I felt him kiss my forehead tenderly.

"Okay," he said. We turned towards the sunrise, watching it's light dance off the ocean and spread across the sky from red to orange to blue. I continued to stare, even as Robin leaned down and whispered in my ear, "_If love be rough with you, be rough with love."_

* * *

We packed a picnic basket and took a hike in the woods nearby. I couldn't help the small smile that lingered on my face as we climbed through the woods. I would alternate between looking at the quiet forest ahead of us and looking back at Robin, who was following me. Every time I turned to look at him, he would have this soft look in his eyes as if I was something beautiful…then I would blush and continue hiking up the thin trail.

It had been so long since I felt love like that, a love so obvious and strong, I almost forgot how to handle it. Half the time, I switched between it being hard to breathe to feeling lighter than I ever had. I felt so energized that I was practically bouncing as we walked. I heard Robin chuckle behind me and I stopped, turning towards him. I stuck one again by the love burning in his eyes. The words disappeared on my tongue and all I could do was sit there in stare at him. Just like I did when I saw him walk through the door. But instead of telling me to go away, he just grinned at me and stepped closer.

"Yes?" he asked me with a teasing smile just on the edge on his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him but I couldn't help the blush that came to my face.

"How much longer until we get to wherever you're trying to take me?" I asked. He pretended to think about for a second and I laughed at his playfulness. I saw him smile before picking me up and lifting me over his shoulder. I squealed and laughed as he carried my up the hill. I squirmed as he carried me, alternating between telling him to put me down and giggling. I felt him laughing at me as he carried me before finally placing me back on my feet. He held my face and I automatically closed my eyes, savoring his soft touch. How much would I miss this when I had to leave?

My eyes snapped open and, just as I hoped, the depressing thought was swept away when I saw the excitement in Robin's eyes.

"You ready?" He asked. I nodded. He covered my eyes and slowly turned me around. I felt his breath on the nape of my neck, as he talked low into my ear. "Take a breath and imagine a place that you've only ever read about. The one clearing in the love story where the couples get away. The one place…the home away from home." He slid his hands down from my eyes so they rested on my neck. "Open your eyes."

I opened my eyes slowly and gasped softly.

The field was a complete circle of space with only one tree growing in the middle. The sun shined on the clearing as I spotted wild flowers. I couldn't help the awe that filled me as I stepped into the space, walking right next to the tree, before sinking to the ground and lying back on the grass. A laugh bubbled inside my chest and I started giggling. Robin walked up to me, kneeling down beside me. He looked at me with a soft look, the sunlight hitting his eyes just right. My stomach twisted as he asked, "What's so funny?" I shook my head, biting my lips.

"I just feel…happy." I said, surprised by how my voice was barely a whisper. Robin's eyes flickered to my lips and he leaned down. He tipped my chin up and kissed me. It was so slow and unhurried; it made me think of the ocean nearby. Of how all of this wasn't going to end anytime soon. He pulled away and laid down beside me.

We watched the sky for a while, white fluffy clouds rolling over the sky. We each took turn pointing out what they look like, each of us laughing more than either of us have in months. Somewhere during this, Robin twined our fingers . My heart jumped at the contact, surprised at how I missed the way it use to do that. My eyes started to feel heavy as I relaxed under the sunbeams. I felt Robin look at me and I turned to him, my eyes half opened.

"Someone's sleepy." He mumbled. I sighed contently before sitting up.

"Bet you ten bucks that it'll be the best sleep I had in months." I told him, trailing my thumb over his hand. He frowned at me, sitting up slowly.

"How exactly have you've been sleeping these last few months?" he asked tentatively. I looked away from him, staring at the grass.

"Lonely." I answered. "Very, very lonely. And exhausting." Robin was silent for a moment. The clearing was quiet with only the occasional sound of nature breaking through.

"Did he hit you?" He asked softly. I sighed.

"Define hit." I could see him shake his head in disgust and shame out of the corner of my eye.

"Of course he did." He said with self-disgust.

"Not exactly." I argued weakly.

"Then what exactly did he do?" He said sharply. I flinched at how harsh he sounded and he sighed. "I'm sorry." I bit my lip as I scooted closer to him. I hesitated but opened my mouth and spoke.

"He grabbed me by my necklace a couple days ago and used it to…mildly choked me. My mom was downstairs so he knew he couldn't do any real damage that would show but it still was kind of painful. He twisted my wrist that same night but that was also minor." I explained. Robin looked at me, hurt and fear shining in his eyes.

"For now," He said. "but there will be a day when it won't be."

"I'm not afraid of him." I told him fiercely. "Not anymore. There's not for me to fear. I could take him if I had to." Robin looked at me, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear and cupping my face. He kissed my forehead gently.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He told me. I nodded. He sighed and a heavy silence hung over us. Then I felt my stomach growl. Robin looked down at me before breaking into laughter, lightening the atmosphere instantly. I grinned at him sheepishly.

"I was hungry." I told him. He chuckled some more. "It was a long hike."

"I can see that." He said with a wide smile before biting his lip. "Let's stop talking about the heavy stuff. It's a beautiful day. I'm with the love of my life." I couldn't help but blush at the statement. Robin didn't smirk like he usually did. Instead, he just smiled in awe at me. "Let's just eat." I nodded in agreement, letting the last three months slip from my mind. I let myself be here. Right now.

I was lying down on the bed, exhausted from our hike and the quick trip to the beach right after. I stared at the ceiling for a while as I waited for Robin to get done with his shower. No particular thought stayed in my mind too long but I couldn't stop staring…

"You know you do that a lot." I jumped at Robin's voice, looking over to him. He was leaning against the doorway with his shirt in his hand. He raised an eyebrow at him reaction. I let out a small self-conscious laugh as I sat up.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, brushing my hair back.

"A good few minutes." He said, walking into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "And again I say, you do that a lot."

"Do what?"

"Stare off." He said softly. "You're always looking off somewhere. It's kind of like before the whole brawl back in Gotham…" I grimaced at the thought of that morning in my room. If only I had done something, everything would be different…

"Hey," he called softly. My eyes snapped back to him. "Don't go there. We didn't know that it was a set up. No one did except them. Even if we tried to prevent it, they still would be trying to find a way to get revenge. At least it's over now."

"They won." I said bitterly. "They won bigger than they were even aiming for." Robin stroked my face. My eyes locked with his. They were pleading and haunted. _Please,_ they begged, _no bad stuff. We don't have time._ I sighed, looking down at the sheets. The ocean crashing against the shore was the only noise in the room.

"What's your biggest fear about our relationship?" Robin asked quietly. "Well, beyond the whole getting shot fear or someone threatening the whole thing daily." I looked up at Robin and thought about the question.

"I'm afraid of what would happen if our relationship ever because…normal." He raised an eyebrow.

"You're afraid of us finally becoming…normal?" I nodded. He shook his head with a small smile. He slipped the shirt over his head and lay back as if he was suddenly drained. "I can't wait for the day."

"Of course you say that now," I said. "It's easy to say that when everything is threatening the relationship. I mean…what happens when there are no guns? When nothing and nobody cares that we're together. When we're just a couple?

"What happens when I get mad at you for forgetting the milk? When I annoy you about something you just didn't want to talk about. When all the excitement and adrenaline rush about our relationship is gone…what's going to happen when the only thing threatening our relationship is us?" Robin contemplated what I said with heavy eyes. _Point proven_, I thought as I stared back down at the sheets. Then I felt him grab me and pull me.

I squealed at the sudden movement as I heard Robin growl, "Come here" playfully, pulling onto his lap. I looked at him shocked before breathlessly giggling. We both dissolved into laugh as he held me against his chest. He kissed my forehead gently before resting his head on my shoulder.

"You know what I want to do, if we ever become a normal couple?" he asked me.

"What?"

"I want to go to the grocery store." I burst out laughing. I felt Robin smiling against my skin.

"The grocery store?" I asked. He nodded.

"The grocery store." He repeated. "And I want to walk up and down the isles and see what you get. I want to see what you like, see you linger at the cookies you want but not sure if you can get this run. I want you to cook with me. Not just as date thing, but because you like to cook with me. Or if you don't, then just sit and watch me sometimes. I want to get into a stupid argument and end up laughing at the whole thing. I want to see you dance like an idiot just because you just can't resist that one pop song everyone one loves and hates.

"I want…you, I guess. We've had the big moments and the 'I love you's,' the date, the first time…now all I want is the small moments of truly being with you." I could feel tears coming to my eyes as corny as it sounded. I wasn't sure if they were out of happiness or sadness. I could picture everything he said and yet I couldn't help but dread the question in my mind.

What if it never happens? What if…we _never_ have a chance to have those small moments?

What do we do then?

Robin lifted his head up. We stared at each other for a while. My heart jumped every now and then, reminding me of what I didn't have these last few months. I took a deep breath as I looked at him.

"You know…if you ever decide to move on, I won't be mad at you. Or at least I'd try not to be." Robin's face fell at my statement, like I knew it would.

"What?" he said in disbelief. I looked away from his face, trying to keep my composure. I needed to say this.

"What if we _never_ have a chance to be normal? What if we just can't be together? There's no way you would wait on me forever. Eventually, you would want love, a love that you can have. And I would want you have that. I would want you to find someone that could love you as much as I do but be there for you. Someone that I couldn't hate because I understand too well how she feels." I said. Robin was silent, still trying to understand what I was saying.

"So you're saying that if one day, we ran into each other years from now, and I had a wife and kids, you wouldn't care?"

"Of course, I would," I snapped, looking up at him, wounded by his words. "Of course it would hurt me. It would kill me to see you with your kids. They would be so adorable and have your eyes…and her hair. And her this and her that…it would kill me on the inside. Don't think it won't. But I'd rather see you with someone else then watching you wait for something that can never happen." Robin bit his lip.

"I don't think I could promise you the same." He said quietly. "What if this is it? What you're the one for me?"

"Then we'll just have to live with it." I said. Robin sighed.

"Always preparing to let me go," he said, kissing my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his hair. I kissed his forehead gently.

"Someone has to." I mumbled. I started to slide off his lap when he tightened his grip on my waist.

"And where are you going?" he asked, a teasing edge in his voice.

"Off your lap," I said bemused.

"Oh, uh uh." He said, falling back so I landed on top of him. I gasped at the unexpected movement. "You are staying right here with me. I got 12 days left. And I'm going to enjoy every single moment." I giggled as he kissed my neck before looking up at him. I could see how tired he really was. I kissed his cheek.

"Robin, you're exhausted." I told him. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Fine," he said before looking down at me with a warm smile. "Then just lay with me. If only for right now." I knew he was waiting for me to remind in him somehow like I always do about how limited our time is, like I always do.

But I didn't. I was exhausted and I didn't want to think about anything but sleep and how comfortable his arms felt wrapped around me.

"Okay," I said. His eyes had an glint at the surprising answer. I just smiled at him softly as I laid my head on his chest, snuggling into his side, before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Right before I was completely asleep, I felt the ghost of a pair of lips brush my temple, whispering good night.

* * *

The days blurred into one another. Each day I woke up in his arms and would kiss him good morning, despite the possibility of morning breath. Then he would make breakfast, although a couple days I took over. Then we would go out and do whatever we wanted. Some days we would go to the beach. Others we would go hiking or shopping in town; we even went on a mini road trip one day to Myrtle Beach. The days were and we didn't spare any moments. Those next 12 days, I was happy. There wasn't a moment of dread. For once, nothing held me down. I just cherished each moment I had with Robin.

The only small reminder that I had was a red circle on the calendar in the kitchen. And even that was ignored until the last day...

Robin sipped his wine with a thoughtful look. I watched him, holding back a knowing smile. He let out a "hmm…" before looking at me.

"Fine, you were right." I smirked and took another sip of wine. "French wine is better than California wine."

"I know," I said, "And it's even better in France."

"True but the French come no where close to the Italian's with food."

"I'd say that the Greeks are pretty close." I told him. He shrugged.

"Maybe," He said. "But I gotta say, this is one of my best vacations."

"How so?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Good wine, good view, amazing girl," He winked at me. "Seems like the lap of luxury to me." I laughed at the compliment.

"Why thank you," I said, leaning forward. Robin met me halfway. I barely felt his lips when a picture instantly flashed in my mind.

It was picture of a young couple. It was a close up of their faces. They were staring at each other with their faces close to each other's, so close that you knew that the next picture would be of them either kissing or jumping back because they didn't expect the camera flash. The way they looked at each other was so strange. They each had the same small, knowing smile on their faces and their eyes gleamed with so much love…

I turned away, suddenly breathless at the image in my mind.

"Okay," Robin said. "I won't lie. I was kind of expected a very different reaction."

"I'm sorry," I said, still shaken. "I just…" I felt Robin rubbing my arms reassuringly.

"What is it?" I sighed.

"I forgot to tell you another fear that's just as scary as the first one." I said.

"Just as scary as being normal?" He said. I could hear the slightest bit of laughter in his voice. I looked at him with a somber look.

"I'm afraid we'll end up like my parents." Any trace of playfulness drained out of Robin's face. "My aunt sent me this pack of pictures and there was this one of my parents when they first got married. They looked so in love…it reminded me of us, too much of us. And now look at them. They're getting a divorce and it's...awful."

"They're fighting over the money? Fighting over you?" Robin asked quietly, shocked by the news. I shook my head.

"It's not the money. My mom only took two percent of the fortune, despite how much my father wants to give her more. She won't accept anything from him. As for fighting over me, it's almost silent. My mom protects me from X and she knows that she can only do so much once…" I trailed off, both of us flinching at the idea of the wedding. "My father doesn't really fight it but so much. He only fights for the deal minimum, which basically means making sure I attend every party I need to. Other than that, it's silent. My mother is strong but she's hurt. I see how she…_bleeds_ because of him. Because of what he did.

"My father…he's completely broken. He can barely function. All he does is try to at least get a glimpse of my mother. She tries to avoid him at all cost. I never realized how much he loved her. But now, I can't even tell he was the same man he was before. He's so weak now."

"And you're afraid that we'll become just like them." Robin said ominously.

"They looked so happy." I said. "As strange as it is to think about it now, they were perfect for each other. At least at first. To see them now…it's scary." Robin looked at me with a grimace. He grabbed my hand.

"It won't be like that." He told me.

"But what if it is?"

"It won't be."

"But what if-" He pulled me to him quickly, kissing me. When he stopped, I was breathless and my heart was racing.

"You and I are two separate people whose arms fit each other. We held each other and after that, despite everything that has happened, our arms still stretched towards the others." He told me. I smiled slightly at his mother's words. "We'll be okay. No matter what happens. We already know what it's like to lose each other. Your parents went through their own challenges. We'll have our own. Okay?" I nodded in understanding.

"Why do you have to be so good with words?" I asked him. He smirked at me.

"One of us has to be." He replied. I smacked him arm playfully and he laughed before peaking at the clock. His smile fell a bit. "What time is your flight?"

"Eleven tomorrow night." I said, a tension falling over us slowly like a blanket. Robin nodded.

"Okay," He told me, standing up, "Let's go to bed."

Later, around four in the morning, I woke up and instantly noticed that Robin wasn't beside me. I slipped out the bed, still feeling sleep sticking to my mind as I walked to the kitchen. Robin was in there staring at the counter. I paused in the doorway, staring at him. He looked up at me.

"Sorry," he said, his eyes bloodshot, "I just couldn't sleep." I bit my lip before walking to his side.

"I know it hurts," I said softly.

"I can't protect you out there." He said. "I can't do anything but step aside and hope for the impossible."

"Robin, I'm not scared. I can take him-"

"You shouldn't have to!" He exclaimed, pushing away from the counter. He sounded too loud in the quiet morning. I followed him as he paced in the small kitchen. I grabbed his arm, ignoring how he pulled away, and pulled him to me. He was stiff at first but eventually melted into me.

"If it's meant, then it will happen." I whispered against his skin. "Don't be sad just yet. Stay with me. Be happy. Smile…because I don't want my last memory to watching you suffer." I kissed shoulder. "My arms fit yours. Only yours..." I felt him sigh before pulling away again. I was about to protest again when I saw him drop to one knee. My eyes widened and I almost gasped.

"I'm not saying I'm truly asking. I know I can't but…" His eyes held desperation, for an answer, for more time then we truly had. "…If I ever asked…" I didn't need him to finish because I was already nodding.

"Yes," I said breathlessly, tears falling out my eyes without me really truly realizing it. He stood up and I jumped into his arms, every possibility, good and bad, flashed through my mind. And I knew that no matter what happened, saying "yes" at that moment was one of the more important answers I would ever give him.

The only yes I truly meant with all my heart.

* * *

Robin stared out at the ocean, feeling lost once more, as it was the day he had been dreading for the last two weeks. He thought about how it was spent packing wit lingering gazes, how every touch was emphasized, every moment seeming like ten. How he held Raven every chance he got, how she pulled him closer when he walked too far away from her. He thought about their final time making love...he squeezed his eyes shut, holing back the tears that threatened to overcome him.

Robin's head whipped towards the door as he heard it band open and saw Roy sauntering through the door.

"Well, this is a nice little hideout." Robin's eyes narrowed at the trespasser.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He exclaimed, shocked at the appearance. _I need to get a new lock for that door,_ Robin thought distractedly as he watched Roy look around.

"Of course, you would take her here." Roy said, more to himself than anybody else, "She'd love it here."

"What are you _doing_ here?" Robin repeated bitingly. Roy merely laughed as he stood in the middle of the room.

"I'd thought I would stop by and see how bad you were suffering, kid." He said with a frustrating nonchalance. "Must be killing you to see her go back." Robin just glared at him "Hey, join the club. Oh and Raven told me she would be here. Well, not specifically but I figured it out."

"Oh, okay," Robin said sardonically, "Well now that you've had the chance to look around, get out."

"Can't," Roy replied. "I have a delivery. Then I'm heading back to California."

"To be with her," Robin said, jealously dripping into every word. Roy merely shrugged.

"Someone has to be." He said simply.

"You know, it's almost strange how close you two are. But then I think about the story of how you save her and I think 'of course she should be thankful.'" Robin's eyes gleamed dangerously. "But that's not whole story, is it?." Roy's mouth formed a thin line at the threat he sensed in Robin's voice.

"No it's not, wonder boy. But I have to go." Roy said, frustration seeping into his voice. Robin shook his head.

"I knew there was something between you two." Robin said. Roy sighed as Robin stared out the window once more.

"It's not even like that." Roy said, his calm returning to his voice. "We just know each other and have had a similar relationship without it being romantic. We've been through hell, just like you two. And its sucked, like it does now. And I'm fighting for it, just like you. But unlike yours, my relationship with her has a debt. I owe her."

"Why?" Robin exclaimed. "What do owe her? What does she owe you?"

"Don't-" Roy tried to warn but was quickly cut off.

"Tell me the truth!"

"Calm down-"

"Just say it!"

"It's not of your business."

"So you love her."

"Not like that!"

"What does she owe you?"

"Nothing! I owe her."

"Why?"

"Because I killed someone!" Roy yelled. The room instantly fell into a dead silence as the words hung the air. Both Robin and Roy were breathing hard, not even realizing how loud they had gotten. Roy sighed and wiped his face in frustration.

"It was a couple of years after we met." Roy began to explain. "I had started getting her into races and building. I saw how much she loved it and since it was my main source of income at the time, I let her race but I would get most of the money without telling her. I felt guilty about using her but even when I told her that I was holding out on her, she didn't stop racing for me. Apparently she owed me for saving her that night. So we kept racing.

"One race was overseas in Tokyo. She was on business vacation with her parents when she found it and flew me out. She stole her first car that night and since she had basically been holed up in her room all day, she was eager to get out. It went like a normal racing night: she was nervous, I encouraged her, and we won. The only thing that didn't go right was how mad the other drivers would be because they lost.

"The bet was twenty thousand and they were not going to let her get away with it. One of the guys called her a cheater and grabbed her. I realized that not only did they want the money but they wanted her too. I fought to get the one guy off of her. It was a brawl between the two of us and there was a knife…you can pretty much guess what happened after that." Robin nodded gravely, understanding completely.

"We left immediately. We flew out the country and she immediately contacted a lawyer. Needless to say she got me off easily. The only punishment, I'm not allowed in Tokyo for ten years, which I am still serving...that was my third offense. I was about to get a life sentence and she gave me my life. That's why I owe her." Roy held out the thick yellow folder. Robin took it from him gingerly.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That's the marriage contract." Roy said. "I've been trying to find a loophole but the thing is iron tight. I'm running out of time and options. If you find a way to crack this, you can save her." Robin didn't say anything as he looked at the folder, suddenly feeling the true weight of it. Roy didn't wait for a response as he left.

Robin barely noticed. He just stared at the document-his last chance-in silence.


	32. The Final Hour

**A/N:** It's the end! So I thought I would do a two for one special. I know you guys have been on the edge of your seats for the past month and I couldn't torture you any longer! So here's the last two chapters (I know, I know *tear tear*). Enjoy.

Just a couple of side notes: The idea for the reception (you'll know when you read) was inspired by the novel _The Night Circus_ (awesome book. you should check it out) and the song mentioned in this story is really good and kind of describes Raven's feelings at the ball. So check it out or even listen to it while reading or re-reading it (it'll be mentioned in the reception scene)

Anyway, without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

_The Final Hour_

The wedding dress billowed out as the dresser pulled out the train. It was beautiful with each sparklingly crystal in the proper place, shining even in the barest of light. The fabric was soft against my skin and the shape was perfect for me. The color looked perfect against my skin. Everybody that saw it would be jealous and want it for herself. And I would be admired years later for finding such a perfect dress.

Yet, all the beauty didn't change the fact that it wasn't _me._ It was too dreamy and over the top. It was too complicated, too shiny. It seemed to scream "look at me, over here. Look at what I'm doing." It was all too much and too…fake. I sighed as I looked at it in the mirror. This wasn't me at all but it played its role.

It was exactly what it was suppose to be: a beautiful accessory to sweeten the deal.

"You look beautiful." My dad commented. I didn't meet his eyes in the mirror, instead watching the dresser walk out the room to give us privacy.

"It doesn't change what it is," I said nonchalantly when she left, taking off the diamond chandelier earring that I wore. "A jumpsuit for my prison sentence."

"Raven-"

"Don't." I snapped, turning around to face him. I felt all the rage I managed to suppress throughout the day coming to the surface as I gazed at the impassive face of my father. I lowered my voice just in case someone was listening outside.

"Don't try to disguise this nightmare as a dream. You can fool everyone else but don't try and fool me. I actually know the truth." I spat at him. He studied me coldly, his gaze heavy as he appraised me. He stood suddenly and walked towards the door and stepped out for a moment before coming back and closing the door.

"Now you can say what you want to say without worrying about anyone hearing." He said, sitting back down, "So go ahead and vent." I shook my head as he dripped with the same arrogant nonchalance that he had when mom was at his side. And this was my father? This was the man that promised to love me?

Isn't this some bullshit.

"How could you do this to us? How can you look me in the eye, knowing what he did to me, and give me away to him? How could you make me lie not only every guest in that room but also God? But you don't care." I turned back to the mirror and ripped off the veil and the bracelets I was wearing. "You have your paycheck, your house, and your reputation in tact. I hope it was worth everything you gave up for it. You know that's why she can't forgive you now. She gave up everything for you and I bet you know that. Yet, you still betray her. And I thought she would be the one person you would at least _try_ not to screw over." I turned back to him as I finished ranting. My dad nodded thoughtfully for a moment.

"What do you want for your wedding present?" he asked easily as if I didn't speak at all. I gave him a hard glare. I crossed my arms, setting my jaw as I thought about the insult of that question.

"You know what," I said. "I want the truth. For once, I want to know how you can live with yourself knowing what you did." My father sighed before standing up. He looked down at the ground before meeting my eyes.

"Fine. He relented. "I knew you would join that gang when I sent you down there." The ground seemed to shift under me. I wasn't sure whether I stumbled or not. I just knew that my skin tingled with anger.

"You…what?" I asked in disbelief.

"You act like you're not predictable. You're too much like me. Too prone on making the same mistakes." He said. I wanted to protest how I wasn't anything like him but the words got caught in my throat. Why was he even telling me this? "That gang has been around for years. It was there when your mom and I lived there. I was actually in it for a while." My jaw dropped in disbelief. My dad grimaced. "I guess she never told you that." My dad sat down again, taking a deep breath, as if preparing himself for the story he was about to tell.

"Way back in high school, I had gotten into the gang. Times were rough, my parents' expectations were wearing on me, and I was angry enough to do something stupid. So I joined them. I met your mom a few months after, during the summer at the library. I remember going that day for some peace when I saw her.

"She was so cute, very charming in a quiet way. Hard to imagine how I got all that from a few glances and a smile but I did. It was so different from what I knew, so lovely, I just…" A small smile graced my dad's face and a sparkle filled his eyes. "I guess I fell in love with her right then. But anyway, we dated through the summer. When school started again, I found out she went to the same school and I immediately panicked. I didn't have the best reputation and I was afraid she would run when she found out. But she didn't. She stood by me, even through all the ugliness of it. She loved me and I loved her.

"A couple of days after we confessed our love, she met my parents. They were polite of course, they even thought she was nice, but she was 'too common,' according to them. I didn't care; I wasn't giving her up for anyone. The problem was Southside found that out and decided to use that against me. They kidnapped her one night from her house. I'm not going to go into all the details but I will say I did hunted them down, shooting every last one I could into the ground. Of course, I got a shot or two myself. Luckily they didn't do anything to her but the thought…" I tensed at the deadly anger that flashed over his face. He shook his head after a moment, sighing as he continued.

"I had to be rushed to the hospital and stayed in their for about 6-7 months, all the while having to deal with the case. Through all the police arrests, trial, and whatnot, I somehow came out clean. It was ruled as self-defense-I'm sure that was more of my parents' doing than anything else-and I was in the clear. All the while, your mother never left my side and I felt great, honestly.

"I was on top of the world. I kept my scholarship, my girl, and most of my sanity. With her, it wasn't too bad. Well, until my parents told me that I was cut off. Then I realized the magnitude of what I did. More importantly, I realized hat it was doing to Arella.

"She was acting stronger than she was for me. She tried to hide it but I knew. I could see it and I couldn't handle the thought knowing how much I was hurting her. So I told her that it would be better if we broke up when I went to college. It broke her heart and mine too. But I did what I had to do." He waved his hand towards me lazily. "I'm sure your mom told you the rest."

"Howard?" I said, unable to suppress the smug smile that threatened to over take my face. He grimaced before rolling his eyes.

"That punk. He was never good enough for your mother anyway." He said with a smirk as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. "At least I learned a long time ago that he has a wife and three kids, meaning that he will never bother your mom again. He didn't deserve her in the first place." His smirk fell a bit. "Of course, I can't really be a good judge of what she truly deserved…" I looked down at my hands, trying not to think too much about the man he use to be. I had to remember who he was now.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why did you have to change? You loved us. You loved me…" He looked up at me with a bittersweet look.

"I had to." He said with no sympathy in his voice. The words cut through me so deeply, tears leaping into my eyes and I had to look away.

"Being the good guy was getting us nowhere. I tried but nothing was happening. Nothing was going right and you can say what you want to say but this life is a lot better than what it would've been had I not changed." I shook my head, despite knowing how true that statement was. As much heartbreak this life caused me, I wouldn't trade it for the struggles that I would've have, the struggles that Roy and Karen had. Those struggle-the pain of them-were something I didn't know how to deal with.

"I had to be the bad guy. By the time that it was outside of just business, it was too late to stop for me." He continued. I sighed as I forced myself to look at him. He was staring past me. "I couldn't go back. I had built everything from the ground up. You won't understand but…I couldn't be who I use to be. He didn't belong in the world I lived in. He would be swallowed up, spat out, and crushed now. He was too weak. Despite what you think of me, it's the truth. And to answer the next question, yes, sometimes I regret that I made the choice I made.

"I was smart. I could've found another job; I could've figured it out. I could've found another solution to my problem. But I didn't and I needed something quick…I've made a lot mistakes on my way to the top. Some I regret more than others," His eyes locked on mine for a moment. I froze, trying to understand the regret in his eyes. "But I can't go back. This is who I am, who I've been for years. You would be doing yourself a favor if you stopped looking for the old me."

"But that was the father who loved me," I said feebly. "How can I forget him?" My father sighed as he stood up. He walked over to me and tilted my chin up so that he could look me in the eye.

"By realizing that keeping the past means holding on to pain." He said, his eyes softening for a moment. "By understanding that my past holds too much pain to bear."

He stepped away from me and walked out. I unclenched my fist, not even realizing that I clenching it until now as my mind swirled with what he said. He knew everything I did. He accounted for every mistake I would make. But even realizing that, I wasn't angry. It was more of a crushing, horrible disappointment as I tried to forget the small glimpse of love I saw in his eyes before he left.

* * *

"Well, it's three weeks before the big day!" The wedding planner trilled eagerly. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. X squeezed my hand in a slight warning, sensing my agitation. We were seated next to each other while my mom waited outside in the waiting area. It was our last appointments with Madame Chloe, one of the best wedding planners in LA.

I could deal with her for the most part when I tried to ignore the fact that she was always too over the top. And wasn't French. But she was definitely a Madame as I tried to figure out how much makeup she had on exactly.

"Now everything for the most part is _perfect._" I flinched as the word rolled off her tongue. She was really going to make me hate that word. "The flowers are ready and bloomed. The RSVP is full. The seating chart is wonderful, might I say. However, we still need a theme for the reception. We have the bases from the ceremony but we have to add a little spice to this wonderful, beautiful wedding!"

She started to pull out her book of past receptions. I held back a sigh as she handed it to me. I flipped through the pages lazily, knowing I looked bored out of my mind. But what could I say? Nothing. Because I was tired of trying to look happy.

It took too much energy to try.

"I was thinking we should definitely add more colors to the reception. All we have right now is black and white and we all know how drab that is at a wedding. There needs some sense of festiveness. Some pazazz, _je ne sais quoi_." I closed my eyes, feeling tired as she started talking some more. I could feel X squeezing my hand subtly but I ignored it. My mind had already drifted off to another place, another time.

I couldn't help but think about a ballroom and two sets of dancers. One couple dressed in white, the other in black. The dance they did seemed deadly but graceful, every step careful and tense. I thought of how they spun before remembering the masks they wore on their faces…my eyes snapped open with an idea.

"A masquerade," I said suddenly. X and Madame Chloe looked at me in shock. This was the first contribution I actually made in any of the sessions. They were use to me being quiet, only shaking or nodding my head in disapproval or reluctant agreement.

"I'm sorry?" Madame Chloe said, surprised that even spoke at all. I cleared my throat and sat up.

"The reception," I said. "It should be a masquerade ball. The scheme will be keep monochrome. The floral arrangements should be big. White roses with tips dipped in black ink and such. Men wear black, ladies in white. Everyone arrives in separate groups and given similar masks of black, white, cream, and grey so nobody is sure who is who. The one rule is do not tell your name to someone else. I'm sure we can work out a system for how to get the food out and whatnot."

"And what about you two?" Madame Chloe asked. "Wouldn't the crowd know who you two are when you arrive at the same time?"

"We'll arrive separately as well." X raised his eyebrow at this. Madame Chloe was incredulous, not sure what my motive was for doing this.

"Excuse me?" she said baffled.

"It will be a love story for the ages." I said, the story forming in my mind as I spoke. "We arrive separately, both of us changing so that we have no idea who the other is. We search the crowd for each other, only having until midnight to find each other. At midnight, the guest will remove their masks, revealing who one another are. If we choose right and find each other-"

"Which we will, of course." X interrupted me. I grit my teeth momentarily before continuing, sparing a tight smile at our wedding planner.

"…Then we will have our first dance. If not well, that will be a bit awkward." I said with a sheepish smile. "But I doubt that it will happen since…" I trailed off unable to finish the sentence.

"Our love is so strong," X finished. Madame smiled, probably thinking it's cute that he finished my sentence. What she didn't see was my wince when he began crushing my fingers when she looked down, jotting down a couple of notes. Or how he cringed when i kicked him back.

"That is brilliant!" She said. "And so romantic. People will be talking about it for days!" She wrote down a few more details before closing her planner. "And that should be it. I will call you, Raven, about the details that weren't covered and about how dinner will be served. Other than that, we are done." She said enthusiastically with a clasp of her hands. I let out a breath of relief. I began to stand and X followed. He let go of my hand to shake Madame Chloe's. I finally relaxed but tensed up again as he grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers, as we left. I spotted my mom in the waiting room. She looked up and stood to leave, briefly looking down at our hands in disdain. But she didn't say anything as we walked through the door.

"So that was the last meeting?" She asked when we were outside.

"Yep. She'll call me about the other details, maybe stop at the house but this was it." I told her. She slipped on her shades in the sunny afternoon.

"Good," She said. "Let's go." Her voice was sharp as she said this, making a clear command to X, telling him to let me go. He sent her what was suppose to be a charming smile as he let go of my hand. My mom just turned her back to him as she walked to the car. I began to follow, only walking down a couple of stairs, before X spoke.

"That was smart." He said. I turned back to him. He held his hands in his pockets, trying to seem harmless. But I knew too well what he was capable of. "Finding a way to hide in open. You were always good at that." I tried to shrug nonchalantly but he could see right through my calm façade.

"Who said I was hiding?" I asked. "I just wanted to make the game a little more interesting."

"Always try to hide from me." X said with a dark chuckle. "Just remember, Raven: I am very good at finding you." I sighed as I heard the same threat I've been hearing since I got back from Charleston.

"It's funny, you couldn't find me when I left. I even gave you two weeks to do it." I snapped. His mouth formed a thin line.

"That was a mistake on your part but don't worry; we'll fix that after the wedding." I rolled my eyes. I'm the one that needs fixing…right. "And after talking to your dad, I didn't have to. You would've come back, if nothing else that to protect that thug you ran off to see. By the way, you are to never contact him again. Especially, after we're married. The last thing is I need my wife running around with another man. You probably know where he is right now."

"Do you think that if I knew where he was that I would be wasting my breath right now with this conversation?" I said with irritation. Even knowing that the answer is yes, I do know where he is and I am wasting my breath on this conversation so that X doesn't know it.

So that he will never know that the love story I told was mine not ours-to-be.

"Watch your tone. We're in public." He said, discreetly looking around. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you to see the house I bought for us."

"You bought a house?" X nodded. I laughed in disbelief. "Already making decisions without me."

"Someone has to." I shook my head.

"I don't get you X." I said, relaxed in spite of my annoyance. "Why are you so hell bent on marrying me? You're not the marrying type. The only thing you could truly be committed to is a mirror. Not to mention you already know I'm going to be difficult. It will _always_ have to be about you and you know how stubborn I can be about that. Why tie yourself down like that?" X chuckled darkly with a sinister and bitter smile.

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked. I was silent, waiting for an explanation. "You see, for the last-what two, three _years_? -I've been stuck in a hellhole because of your mistake. And I have to give you your credit: you _almost_ took everything from me. Almost. But don't worry, I'll be returning the favor very soon." I crossed my arms, as if to protect myself from the threat. X placed his hands on my arms. I tensed at his touch, fighting not to push him away from me. "Don't look so down, Raven. You won. You were the most desirable girl with the biggest paycheck. You were the one everyone wanted…I just happened to be the highest bidder. Besides," I turned away as X traced the side of my face with the back of his hand. "You were always suppose to be mine."

Our head snapped towards where we heard a blaring noise. It was my mom, honking the horn of the car. I walked away from X, making sure my face was impassive as I got in.

"What was he saying?" My mom asked urgently

"Nothing important." I told her vaguely. My mom glared out the window to X one last time before pulling away. I sat back and sighed quietly, already tired from being around X. It seems like any energy I had from my vacation was sapped out of me the second I stepped back into my house a month ago.

It's hard to believe it's been a month already. It's hard to think of how often I've had to block that whole time out of my thoughts because if I didn't, I would've remembered too well. I would've felt the breeze on my skin, would see ocean blue instead of highway grey…I would've smelled the salty but slightly spicy smell of Robin's skin, would've tasted the cookies we stole from a gas station on our last day, would've heard too well the words "I love you." I would've remembered it all too well…I wiped away the love tear drop that fell from my eye, holding back the rain before it flooded into a river.

* * *

I looked out over the balcony as we sat across from Alex and Luc, two of the few mutual acquaintances X and I shared. I didn't particularly care for them but I preferred them to the others I was forced to be around.

We had just come from visiting the house X had bought. I remember stepping into the foyer and looking at the mosaic tile in disdain. I took off the shades I was wearing and shook my head.

"Big, flashy, and grand." I commented, "Just like the ring you gave me."

"Quiet," He tried to command. "We're in public." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever." I said, dismissing him. X laughed with an edge of anger. "What?"

"You are just giving me so much to work with when I first beat you." I gave him a deadpan look, mildly surprise that he would say it so casually. I waited for some trace of fear to come but it never did.

"I'm so scared." I told him. He shrugged, straightening himself for a moment.

"At least my future wife isn't stupid." I gaped at him for a moment before baring my teeth as he walked by. I hate him…

Thirty minutes later, Alex invited us for a cup of coffee and here we are.

Alex was a sweetheart, always trying to help someone with something, which fits when considering that her father is a CEO a multimillion-dollar nonprofit organization. Luc was her silent, almost detached boyfriend. I wasn't sure what he did exactly but I knew he wasn't as wealthy as the rest of us. And, my favorite thing about him, he didn't care to be.

"Beautiful view, huh?" Alex said, pointing at it. I nodded, staring at the ocean that seemed to stretch across the horizon.

"It is." I agreed. "Very peaceful."

"So how's the recovery? I was so worried when I heard." I smiled a bit as the sincerity in her voice. She was always so sweet, so sincere.

"It's been going well." I told her. "I'll be back to normal in no time."

"That's great." She said with a genuine smile before a thoughtful look crossed her face. "I wonder how the other boy that got shot that night is doing. You know, the one they found with you? God, I wish I could remember his name-"

"Robin." I answered, the name slipping out before I realized it or could stop it. I looked around at the confused faces around me. Well, except X. He just looked aggravated. I cleared my throat before speaking again.

"His name is Robin. Well, Richard." I explained. "And no, I don't know if he's really recovered or not." I hoped that none of the despair that I was feeling leaked into my voice and was extremely thankful for the shades that concealed the anguish in my eyes.

"Thank you for coffee." I said feebly as the awkward silence stretched on. "It's a nice break from all the parties we've been to for the last couple of months." I forced myself not to look pointedly at X, glad once more for the shades I had on. Alex laughed, relieved about the subject change.

"I'm sure." She said. "I know it would drive me insane. But then again, I doubt Luc would try to take me to a party. He would probably just cuddle next to me for months after."

"You didn't mind it when you were sick." Luc said in his low, smoke-like voice. He was staring as her, a hint of a smirk on his face as he rested his arm on the back of her chair. Alex just smiled as moved closer to him slight.

"Who said I minded it at all?" She said, her voice lower too. I frowned a bit when I saw them inching towards each other, turning away before I could see them kiss. I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath, my heart clenching. It felt like there was a weight on my chest as I thought of the last kiss I had, by the beach side. How long will it be before someone I love kisses me again? I heard X clear his throat followed by a, "excuse me" from Alex.

I turned back around. They were still close but conscious of me and X. It didn't stop Luc from kissing Alex's temple sweetly and resting his arm around her shoulder. I held back a despairing sigh.

He adored her.

"So you ready for the wedding?" Alex asked, trying to distract us from the recent PDA.

"Trust me, you have no idea how I'm feeling." I said with a smirk. X almost tensed up next to me. I looked at him as he grabbed my hand.

"The feelings are definitely exceptional." He said, agreeing with my underlining meaning. He smiled at me, brushing back my hair. I tried not to flinch as he did. But I couldn't fight the urge to turn away in repulsion as he leaned forward to kiss me. He paused for a moment before kissing my cheek. My hand formed a fist as I felt disgust fill me. I didn't have to look to know that he was angry and embarrassed. I looked at him, forcing a smirk to my face.

"It's rude." I told him, trying to save some of his pride. He forced a chuckle and leaned back in his chair.

"Of course." He said calmly, almost amused. But I could see it in his eyes. The damage was done. Again. I sighed quietly under my breath.

I couldn't help but think, _round two._

* * *

"Get off of me!" I yelled as X dragged me into his house. I pulled my arm out of his grip and he went and closed the door, locking us inside. I stood in the middle of the foyer, breathing heavily and sneering at him. He stepped towards me calmly.

I opened my mouth but never got a chance to say anything as he slapped me. I instantly fell to the ground hard. All the air inside of me pushed out of my lungs and the side of my face stung. That was going to leave a bruise.

"Still got something to say?" X said. "Because I've just lost all patience for your voice." I lifted myself off the ground and quickly punched him in the stomach. He doubled over and I punched him again in the side of his face. I looked down at him as he knelt in pain.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I said. He glared up at me before tackling me to the ground. He tried to grab at my throat but I scratched at his eyes. He punched me in the side while I kicked him off of me. I ran through out the house, not sure where I was going but I could hear his footsteps behind me. He finally caught my arm and slammed me into the wall. I spat in his face. It loosened his grip enough for me to push him away. I started to run again but he tripped me. He grabbed my ankle and started pulling me back. Just like the first time.

This time, though, I turned and kicked him in his crotch. He yelped in pain and staggering back before falling down to the ground. I started crawling away but he grabbed me again. I kicked frantically and felt my boot collide with him face. His hand let go of my ankle and I got up. I needed to figure out a way out of here. I saw him starting to stand up and ran up the first flight of stairs I saw. When I reached the top, I looked behind me, breathing a sigh of relief when I didn't see him.

Just before turning around and seeing him bounding up the stairs on the other side.

By the time I saw him, it was too late for me to do anything. He grabbed my arms. I tried to pull out of it but it felt like a death grip as he dragged me into one of the bedrooms. He threw me on the bed. I scrambled to sit up. I heard a click behind me and I turned to come face to face with a barrel of a gun. For the first time all night, I felt real fear as I slid off the bed to stand in front of him.

We stared at each other for a long moment, both battered, bruised, bloody, and breathless. I looked him up and down; trying to seeing how determined he was to shoot me. After a while, I could see the slightly panicked look in his eyes. I almost smirked.

He wasn't going to shoot me.

If he did, he would be charged for murder instantly. My mom would have him on a life sentence, if not death row. Hell, she may even kill him herself. Either way, he would never be able to get his life back or cover up the fact that he did it. And there was no way I could recover from another bullet wound in three weeks. He still needed me. And, in the end, X was still a coward.

"You're not going to do it." I told him, breathing heavily.

"You're right." He said with a deadly calm. "I'm not. Mostly because I still need you right now." He walked towards me and grabbed the back of my neck. He pulled me forward and pressed the cold, hard barrel under my chin. I grabbed his hands to loosen his painful grip but it was solid. I wasn't getting out of this anytime soon.

"But give me a reason to use it." He warned. "Go ahead. Dare me to. Because, believe or not, you won't be the first target. If you even think about defying me to the point you did today, I will consider it a breach in contract. I will make sure that street thug Roy ends up on death row. I will make sure Karen and the twins are locked up or deported. And for the other one, _Robin_…" He spat venomously in my face, "I'll take care of him personally." Fear pooled inside of me, stretching to every nerve I had. That was X's true threat.

Kill everyone I love and watch me suffer before (possibly) burying me into the ground too.

X dropped me to the ground. I didn't try to get up but instead stared up at him, seeing the raw, dangerous determination in his eyes. He looked down at me before a slow smirk spread across his face.

"You look better like that." He said. "It befits your position."

His steps echoed as he left, slamming the door behind him. It took me a while to notice the tears streaming down my face. I gripped at the carpet and curled up on the floor, sobbing as I realized how long and how hard this marriage would really be.

* * *

"Step lightly," Madame Chloe instructed. "Think tall, Raven. That's good. Shoulders back a bit…_perfect_." I nodded vaguely as I practiced walking down the isle with my dad. We were quiet as Madame Chloe shouted out orders from the side. I could feel my dad's eyes flickering to my face but I refused to look to look at him.

"Okay let's try it one last time." Madame Chloe shouted. I heard my dad sigh as we walked back up the isle for the umpteenth time. I relaxed my shoulders, standing up straighter as she said, "And go…"

We started walking when my dad leaned over to me and whispered, "What did he do to you?"

I looked down, knowing he was talking about X. He noticed the oddity of my actions for the last three weeks and how much quieter I was around X, how submissive I had been…

"It's nothing." I told him.

"It's something." He said with determination. I vaguely shook my head, looking only ahead of me.

"It doesn't matter." He pulled me to a stop and made me face him.

"Yes," he said. "It does." I set my jaw as saw the concern in his eyes. Ten years and _now_ he decides to care. Why does he care so much right now? Why do I hate that he does?

_Because he chose too late to do so,_ I realized. _That's why you hate it._

"You can't stop early tomorrow, Raven." Madame Chloe shouted, concern coloring her tone. She just had to make this _perfect_. She had to orchestrate a perfect trial for me for me to be sentenced. I glared at her.

"I think me and my father know how to walk down a isle. Can we just wrap this up?" I snapped. Madame Chloe looked at me, taken aback by the harshness of my voice. My father just frowned at me.

"Sure." Madame Chloe said nervously. "I guess we'll be ready for the wedding tomorrow. Or at least wing it…" I turned away from he as I sat down to take off my heels that were killing my feet. I massaged them as I asked. "Is everything ready for tonight?"

"Yes," Madame Chloe said eagerly, glad to be on sure footing. "Everything is in place. Your friend is picking up your dresses from the boutique. All I need to do is check in with the caterers to make sure their in place and review how to serve the food today and tomorrow night. But other than that, everything is _perfect_!"

"And here comes the best friend/maid of honor!" Karen announced as she waltzed in. I smiled a bit but it felt hard to keep as I saw my dress for tonight in her hand. She leaned down and kissed both my cheeks, mocking Madame Chloe secretly. "How are you darling?"

"I'm good." I said. Madame Chloe walked away to attend something else and Karen's smile went into a scowl.

"I hate that lady." She said. "All afternoon she was blowing up my phone talking about 'you have to get the dress! Get off your ass and get the dress!' Look lady, I got more things to do all day than go to a boutique and pick up a piece of cloth." I chuckled slightly. She looked at me knowingly and held out a coffee cup. I looked at her warily.

"This isn't spiked, is it?" She sighed.

"Nope. The last thing you need to be these next two days is drunk." She said with a frown. I looked down as I took a small sip. It wasn't spiked but I kind of wished it were. If I could forget the next 48 hours, I would drink myself to death. And of course, Karen knew that.

"Don't go there." I looked up at her and she looked at me pointedly. "I can see where you're going in you mind and don't go there. Everything will be okay, Raven. I know it."

"It could just be the optimism playing with your mind." I argued. Karen shrugged.

"Optimism, intuition…doesn't matter. The point is that there has been so much bad, something good has to come right?"

"Maybe," I relented, even though I doubted it at this point. Any hope I had had worn away when X left me in that damned house. I tried to block out the thought of the how hard I cried or how scared I was…how scared I am now. Karen waved something in my face. I looked up and sighed as I saw the dress bag swinging on her finger.

"Come on, Raven." Karen said softly. "Your party starts in a couple of hours." I held back a sigh as I grabbed a dress, making my way to the bathroom.

Everything seemed to blur as I pulled the dress on over my head. I couldn't remember walking out the bathroom to meet Karen outside; I was just out there. I don't remember climbing into the limo; I just remember being in it. I can't remember what was said while we were driven to where the masquerade was held; I just remember Karen holding out my mask and say, "see you inside" before exiting the car. I leaned back as I tried to think straight. I didn't know why that happened.

Maybe I wasn't letting myself realize what I was doing out of fear that I would risk something I couldn't afford to loose…

The car stopped around the corner, so no one would see me enter. I stared at the white mask in my hand. There was cream lace over the white silk, making it elegant and beautiful. The one beautiful thing I allowed myself tonight. All my hope, all my optimism, all my dodging and running…it came down to one last chance to hide in the open.

One day to pretend that it's still possible for him to still save me…

I covered up my teary eyes with the mask, making sure it was secure before stepping out of the car and slipping into the building, hoping no one saw me enter.

* * *

Everything seemed to contrast inside the ballroom. The room switched drastically from blinding white to absorbing black with only the occasional relief of grey. The strength of the opposite almost too harsh, making it hard to concentrate as I moved around. But, nonetheless, it was beautiful.

It created a mysterious atmosphere that made you question who you stood next to. The only person you knew was the waiter, who was strictly instructed not to wear a mask, and whomever you came with possibly.

I sighed in relief as I walked by another group of guest unnoticed. It was strange as I walked around, even pausing to make a causal conversation, and realizing that nobody knew who I was. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that they all threw an engagement party for me? Hadn't it only been few days since I spoke with some of them? It was absurd but logical.

None of them _knew _me. They knew my face. They knew about my tragedy in Gotham. But they didn't know who I was; they only ever focused, only ever cared, on what I am.

Well, with a couple of exceptions.

I looked at the person standing at the foot of the staircase and nodded, signaling that no one knew who I was. Roy barely nodded, looking past me. Karen stood next to his and vaguely nodded her head to the dance floor. I immediately spotted X in the center of it all. He had his hand around another girl's waist and twirled her as they danced. I could see even from here that he knew it wasn't me. He was still looking for me. I let out a breath of relief as I went to sit at one of the tables at the edge of the room.

I stared at the guests as they gossiped and laughed over the soft music in the room. For a moment, the room seemed to change and people were wearing different color dresses, instead of black and white. There were people from every age group and there seemed to be a grander more sincere feeling about the room. I blinked a couple of times and the room came back. I bit my lip as the faces blurred with tears this time.

What was happening to me? I felt like I was going out my mind. First, I couldn't concentrate on anything and now I was hallucinating. It made me of what my mom told me years ago: love and logic rarely ever keep company. I chuckled bitterly as my mind switched back and forth between past and present, until I could barely decipher one from the other.

Maybe it was my mind finally snapping.

"May I have this dance?" My head snapped up and I saw a stranger in all black, his face covered in a silk mask. I finally remembered where I was and who I had to be. It was my wedding. And I was supposed to be happy. And attending to my guest. I looked up at the stranger's eyes. The were a pure, steely blue color that reminded me too much of Robin's…

I blinked, one tear slipping out my eye, before nodding. He held his hand out to me. I took it gently, relaxing as I realized how comforting this person's touch was. As he led me to the dance floor, I tried to bury my heartache and work a smile to my face but I just couldn't. I turned away from him as he placed his hand on my waist and I placed my on his shoulder.

The music started and we were gliding.

The first few seconds, I barely paid attention to my partner as I tried to identify the song. It sounded so familiar to me but I couldn't put my finger on it…my heart sank as I thought of Charleston and how one of the days Robin showed me his mom's old music collection. He played this song and danced with me in the living room. It was the silliest and most fun waltz I ever danced. And I loved every second of it. It sounded different now because a classic orchestra instead of an electric piano played it but I still recognized it all the same. I sighed as the title finally came to my mind.

Heartburn Waltz by Vince Guaraldi.

"Interesting song choice." The stranger commented. "Never thought I would hear that song at a wedding." I stepped slightly closer to the stranger so he couldn't see the mix of shock and despair on my face.

"You know it?" I said, surprised.

"Yes. It's actually one of my favorites." He said softly.

"Oh," I said. We were quiet as he held me close. I don't know why, but I didn't mind. His touch soothed me, so much that I had an absurd desire to pull him closer to me in hopes that he would just keep _hold_ me, not in a dance but just to hold me. Just stand there for hours and have my face pressed against his shoulder while he stroked my hair, like Robin would've if he were here…I'm going insane. I stepped back, moving away from him but his hold was firm on my waist. I looked up at him. He gazed down at me softly, concern shining through his eyes.

"Why are you so sad?" He asked me. I tried to breathe but the sobs I had been holding back were starting to build up inside of me. I had to look down as I tried to speak. Why did I feel like this man, this stranger, was looking right through me? Like he could see the true depth of my sorrow.

Why did I feel like, in this entire room of hundreds of people, he was the only one who could truly _see_ me?

"I'm about to make a mistake." I told him. "But if I don't…everything will fall apart." I knew it was dangerous to tell him this but I couldn't stop myself from telling him. I felt compelled and didn't know why. Maybe because he reminded me too much of Robin. The way he held me, the way his voice sounded…I wasn't sure what was real and what in my mind.

"You're in love." He said matter-of-factly. I nodded, more tears falling out of my eyes.

"Yes." I said, my voice rough. "But I can't be with him."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated." I told him, knowing it was too long and harsh of a tale to tell. We slowed to a stop. I looked around and saw that we were no longer on the dance floor but on the side, in the shadow of a corner.

"How?" he asked. I sighed, trying to figure out the simplest way to answer it.

"I…we were…it's dangerous. For us to together. I-I thought that maybe there was hope for us. That I could find a way…" I shook my head. "It doesn't matter anymore. I can't be with him. Not after tonight, not anymore." I was surprised by the softness of his laugh as he bent down to whisper in my ear, as if to tell me a secret.

"You know something? It's kind of funny when people say it's complicated only to be shocked at how uncomplicated it really is. Sometimes it's as easy. Sometimes the only thing hard about it is the idea. Sometimes all you need to do is walk out." He said with a slight, secretive smile. "Sometimes all you have to do is look in front of you and let yourself find the answer."

I paused as I looked into his eyes, the combination of them and the music almost too much. Then I remember something: a couple of weeks ago, Madame told me to make a list of songs to play at the wedding. I didn't put this song on the list. And while the song was ingenious, it wasn't exactly the most known song in the world.

So how in the world is it playing right now?

And it was almost too convenient that out of the entire crowd here, this one stranger would ask for me a dance right when the song started. I stepped back from him, pulling down my mask, as I truly looked him up and down, almost missing the small gasp that escaped the stranger as he saw my face. I started to actually _look_ at him. He was the same height. He had the same build. His hands had that soft roughness that…no. I looked at his eyes once more and I finally saw the _spark_ the one I saw so many times.

I didn't think as I reached up and pushed back his mask slowly. He closed his eyes as I slowly inched the fabric away from his face. My hands trembled as they brushed against his skin the slightest bit. My pulse jumped as I fully removed the mask from his face, the silk a whisper as it floated to the ground.

Then his eyes snapped opened and fresh tears sprung at my eyes as I jumped into Robin's arms immediately. He held tight against him. I clung his desperately, fear, relief, shock, and too many more emotions came to the surface.

He pulled back and crashed his lips to mine. I placed my hand on his face, holding him close to me as pure elation finally filled me. My heart felt like it was about to sprint out of my chest and I felt myself smiling despite the pressing question of how and why he was here. When I finally pulled away, the words flew out of my mouth.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, pushed him further into the shadows as anxiety filled me. Did anyone see him come him? Did anyone know who he was? Did X just see us? But for whatever reason, Robin just laughed. There wasn't a hint of worry on his face. I looked at him, wondering if he had gone slightly mad while after I left. He saw my expression and pulled out a pile of papers. I took from him, immediately noticing the contract copy I gave Roy weeks ago in his hands.

"How did you get this?" I asked as I flipped through it.

"Roy," He explained. "He stopped by after you left and took me to find a way to break it." I looked at him as he smiled proud. "And I did." The world seemed to shift from under me as he did. I looked at him speechless.

"The contract was made in Japan and this is the translated copy. It states here that as long as your father is under your grandparents' jurisdiction, he owed them money." Robin continued. "He stayed under their jurisdiction until about five years ago when he paid them back. But there were a couple of clauses that promised a marriage. However, it required you to be a citizen of Japan or plan to move there after the wedding.

"When this was made, your father had gotten you and your mom dual-citizenships for here and Japan. He ended it about a month ago. Because you turned eighteen and didn't renew it _and_ had paid an enrollment deposit for college months ago, it solidifies your choice to be a full American citizen. That made the contract invalid." He smiled brilliantly at me. "You're free." My jaw dropped as the news hit me. The contract is broken. I no longer have to marry X. It's over.

I'm finally free.

"I'm free." I whispered breathlessly. Robin nodded, holding his hand out.

"I came to get you." He said. "Do you want to leave?" I heard all questions he didn't say. Are you too afraid to go? Do you want to leave somewhere else? Do you still mean yes? Are you sure you want to be with me? Are you ready to try and, possibly, be normal with me?

I took his hand and held it tight.

"Get me out of here." Robin smiled and led me around the edge of the ballroom to the garden in the back. I took a deep breath as we got outside. The flowers were a bright white in the dark night and I could just make out Robin's car that was parked hazardously on the sidewalk.

"Eager, huh?" I said, pointing at it. He shrugged before wrapping his arm around me.

"Had to see you as soon as I could." I smiled, feeling light and free like I did when I was near the ocean. I was free and this time it was permanent. And I wanted to keep it that way. As if sensing my thoughts, Robin picked up his speed and I followed.

But we weren't fast enough to avoid being seen and only out of sheer instinctual luck did we move just enough to avoid the bullet aimed towards us.

BOOM!

We ducked as the bullet collided with the tree next to us. We whipped around, fear and frustration, wondering what could possibly go wrong this time. I saw X standing before us with the same gun he threatened me with a couple days ago, breathing heavy.

"You are not leaving." He said, his voice poison. I narrowed my eyes as I stood up slowly.

"The contract's broken, X." I told him. "It's over." He shook his head and raised the gun so it was pointed at my face.

"No!" He shouted. "It's not over till I say it is. You owe me, Raven!"

"I don't owe you a damn thing!" I shouted. I was about to walk up to him but he pointed the gun down at Robin, holding me back.

"Yes, you do. And you're going to stay to pay your debt." He told me grimly. "Now walk towards me slowly before I decide to put a bullet through his head." I looked at Robin quickly. He was glaring at X, tense as he crouched low. I closed my eyes, cursing fate's timing, as I stepped towards X. I just couldn't risk Robin like that.

Before I could even get halfway, I was tackled to the ground, the sound of another shot ringing in my ears. I was disoriented as I looked up to see Robin punching X across the face. X stumbled and the gun fell out his hand. They both dove for it but Robin beat him to it. He grabbed the muzzle and starting to beat X with it. I pushed myself up as I saw the murderous gleam in Robin's eye. It scared me as I remembered what he told me when we first came here together. _I'll kill him..._butif he killed him…

We would never leave.

I was off the ground before realizing it and grabbing Robin, trying to pull him off X.

"Robin, stop!" I screamed. Robin stopped, breathing heavily, taking a moment to recognize that it was me.

"Why?" He asked, confused at my reaction.

"You can't kill him." I said frantically. "If you kill him, the cops will be hunting you down tomorrow morning." Robin's eyes filled with frustration as he struggled to decide whether or not to kill X. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw X starting to stand and opened my mouth to warn Robin but someone else spoke first.

"Then let me." Someone said and there was another boom. Robin and I jumped back as we saw X crumple to the ground, blood pooling under him. I looked at the morbid sight in horror before looking up. My mom walked calmly to the body, holding a gun in her right hand.

"I warned him." She said unsympathetically, staring at the dying body with satisfaction. She stepped on his back and he let out a dying cry. I tried not to think about the blood that now coated my mom's shoe as I turned away. Then I heard the approach of more people and finally the panicked screams from the inside, the sounds of chaos penetrating the night. I turned to see Roy and Karen tailing my dad as they ran towards us.

Roy and Karen stopped short as they spotted X. My dad walked to mom's side, looking down with a frown.

"That's not good." Roy said. Karen looked at the body wide-eyed and disgusted.

"Well, this is going to be hard to explain." My dad said calmly. I stepped closer to Robin. He automatically wrapped his arms around me. "What happened?"

"I'm leaving." I told him firmly, despite how shaken I felt. "The contract is invalid. So I am leaving. X saw me and followed."

"I saw him with a gun so I ran to get mine and came back seeing him holding her to a gunpoint." Mom explained. "I shot him to stop him." My dad sighed as he observed the scene. The silence was ominously heavy as we looked at the dead body in the middle.

"Well, not to worry." My dad told her. "We'll fix this. First things first, we need to call the police. There's no way to hide this or avoid them anyhow. Then I'll get our attorney on the line and start working on your case."

"No," My mom said sharply. My dad grabbed her hand.

"Arella, it'll be okay. You won't get convicted; I'll make sure of that. You'll be fine." He explained calmly. My mom sneered at him and ripped her hand out his grasp.

"I don't want you help!" she spat at him. He threw his hand sup exasperatedly, letting his frustration show for the first time.

"And I don't care!" He finally snapped. "My god, woman, for once stop being stubborn. Put aside everything that's happened lately-the separation, the contract, everything-and for once just let me do what I've been doing for the last twenty years of our marriage and let me help you!" Everyone was stunned into silent, speechless about the was he snapped on my mom. Yet, there was not but love and worry in his expression as mom looked at him for the first time in months. He turned to look at Leo and me.

"And what are you still doing here?" He asked us. "You said you leaving. You might want to hurry, unless you want to go down to the prescient in about an hour." He didn't need to remind us twice. Robin tossed the contract to Roy, who smirked at him, feeling smug. I gave a quick hug to them.

"Told you something big was going to happen." Karen whispered quickly as I embraced her. I spared her a smile before walking over Leo. He took my hand again as we sprinted to the car. We jumped in and Leo pressed the gas.

And then we were gone with no trace of us except a couple of masks in a ballroom and smoke from the car, as we faded into the night, almost as if we never existed in the first place.


	33. Epilogue: Ever After

**A/N:** The conclusion is here...Enjoy!

* * *

_Ever After_

"And we lived…"

"…Ever after." I finished.

"Aw, come on." Richard said. "It wasn't that bad of an ending, all things considered."

"Yeah, all things considered." I relented as I ate another grape. I was sitting on the kitchen island with Robin beside me, leaning instead of sitting in the cottage. It was a peaceful, beautiful evening. Everything was calm as Richard and I recounted the tall tale of our final year in high school, like we did every year.

I turned the story over and over in my mind. It was hard to believe that all that had happened seven years ago, it seemed like a lifetime ago. It seemed even harder to imagine that it was real. I wasn't sure why we told did. It sounded more like a modern Shakespearean tragedy than what actually happened.

But it was true. And I had the scar to prove it. And maybe we told it to each other to remember that.

"I mean, think about it." Richard continued. "You finally confronted Jinx." I nodded, thinking of that particular task.

"Yeah," I said, sarcasm dripping into my voice. "Like that wasn't difficult."

* * *

About four years ago, I decided to get closure with Jinx. I had pulled a couple of strings and found her address before packing up for a mini road trip. I then drove hours to Illinois, where she lived now, just thinking what I would do when I saw her again. Even though three years had passed and life was going good for me, my stomach still burned when I thought about that last stand in Gotham when she visited me in the hospital. Every time I thought of the steely leader, I wanted to shoot something.

Not punch. Shoot, so I could know it hurt.

I sighed, trying to push away the violent thoughts. I wasn't going there to hurt her. I was going there to get my own peace of mind from the situation, not to kill her. _Unless I needed to_, I thought, ignoring the part me that was hoping that she would give me a reason to.

I pulled into a driveway, spotting a car in the driveway. I took a deep breath before unbuckling my seat belt and exiting the car. I walked up to the door, looking around. It wasn't the worst of neighborhoods but it definitely not the best. It seemed like it was only a couple of steps up from the projects. The suburbs of the ghetto.

I knocked on the door. I heard a voice behind the door saying "just a sec." A few seconds later, the door opened and Jinx was standing in front of me.

She looked a little older, not much but some. Her body changed some, making her curvier than she was before. There were some tired lines around her eyes but other than that, she seemed almost the same. She sneered at me but I saw the wariness in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. I looked at her for a moment, crossing my arms as all the hatred I harbored for her rose inside me. I narrowed my eyes as everything she ever did to me flashed through my mind.

"Trying to find reasons why I shouldn't kill you." I told her, sharper than I intended. She sneered at me.

"That's nice." She said sardonically. "Why don't you come in?" She moved away from the door and I walked inside. She led me to the living room. I looked around quickly. There were a couple pictures of her and a child, a TV in the corner, and a couple of armchairs. I walked closer to Jinx so that when she turned around, she didn't see the punch I threw at her. She let out a pained cry as she doubled over. I stepped back with smirk.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. "What the hell was that for? I didn't even do anything to you."

"Well, it was a lot better than what I thought about doing to you. Besides, it beats a gun wound any day, remember?" She narrowed her eyes at me, subtly looking at my arm, where my wound was hidden under my shirt.

"Touché," She said. "Bitch." I chuckled at her.

"Still the same girl, I see."

"Not completely." She said as she walked over to the armchair near her, rubbing the side I hit her. "A few things have changed." I sat down in the armchair across from her. We were quiet for a couple of moments, comparing the person in front of us with the person we use to know.

"So I heard you got married to some Japanese billionaire. Or that's the last I heard." She commented.

"Well, then you are very late." I said. "That engagement ended 3 years ago. But I did get married." I lifted my finger to show her my engagement ring and wedding band. Separately, the two were fairly simple with a lace like design, the engagement ring holding a light blue sapphire. But when combined the lace became a braided design, intertwining the rings into one. Jinx rolled her eyes, despite the slight awe in her eyes. I bit back a smug look.

"Should've known you would've married lover boy." I shrugged.

"We make it work." I said.

"So I guess Romeo and Juliet would've made it had they been smart." Jinx said with a casual wave of the hand.

"Nope," I told her. "Romeo and Juliet were blinded by love. Me and Robin are way past that point."

"Yea, yea, yea," Jinx dismissed. I laughed lightly, surprised by how comfortable I was with it. How much I _didn't_ care what she said or thought. She looked at me with a serious look in her eyes before letting out a quiet sigh.

"I'm sorry." She said. I raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes before explaining. "For everything. For shooting you and trying to ruin your life. I never thought I would be saying that but karma is a very, very funny thing."

"And what karma did you get?" I asked. "A shot in the ass?"

"Ha ha, not funny." She said. I just smirked but it fell from my face as she picked up one of the pictures on the windowsill behind her and held it out to me. I looked down at it carefully. Jinx and the child smiled at me. The child had dimples and looked so sweet and innocent, I did a mental 'aw.' But then I looked closer and started to see similarities between the two, among other things…

"He's my son." Jinx explained.

"And he has Down syndrome." I said. She nodded gravely.

"Too much drinking and smoking at the beginning of the pregnancy." She told me quietly. "I was so caught up in my grief over Royal that I didn't realize I was destroying the child or than I was even _pregnant_." She shook her head in self-disgust. "By the time I found out, it was too late. I was lucky he didn't die already.

"Honestly, thinking of how close I was to losing him reminded me of you, surprisingly. I thought of how you almost lost everything and I was the one who took it. Or at least one of them. And I had to wonder…did I not deserve this? Did I not deserve to have a life so precious to me taken away when I took or ruin so many others? I knew that, in a way, this was my punishment for everything I've done. But it was also a gift.

"In a world of ugly, something from somewhere, gave me something beautiful. He may be weird or hard to understand to everybody else but to me…" She gazed at the picture with so much love, the kind you only see in mothers, a deeper love than any other person can understand. "He's everything. I love him more than my own life, just like Royal would too if he was alive. Or at least I'd like to think so."

"I think her would." I said. We were quiet for a moment when I heard something from the backyard. I stood up and looked out the window. Outside a small boy, Jinx's son played with a woman in a wheelchair. The woman smiled at him before spotting me in the window. She froze in shock and we stared at each other. I was baffled again. The last time I saw Terra, she was shooting Robin in an alley. Seeing her like this, I couldn't even force myself to be mad at her.

Karma if nothing else is very thorough.

"Car accident," Jinx explained. I broke my gaze and looked at Jinx. She was staring out the window. "It happened a couple of years ago. She's paralyzed from the waist-down for life. I'm her caretaker now."

"Explains why you got out the city." I said. She shrugged.

"It was time for me to leave anyway." She said, glancing at me. "You know this doesn't mean we're friends, right?" I scoffed.

"Please, I can barely stand you now." I said. "But I will say this is a truce."

"Truce." Jinx agreed. We both looked back at the two playing in the back.

"So, what's his name?" I asked not looking at her but I still caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass. Her eyes softened as she watched her son.

"King," she told me, a smirk coming to her face, "so that he'll always know he's a part of royalty."

* * *

"The fact that I made it through that day without doing any damage-"

"You punched her in the stomach."

"-Is a miracle within itself. Don't jinx it yet. Pun intended." Richard laughed at my explanation. I just rolled my eyes before chuckling a bit myself. Robin stepped in front of me, my knees touching his sides as he leaned forward to rest his arms right outside my thighs. I automatically ran my hands though his hair. He closed his eyes, relaxing against me.

"And what about your parents? They're reconciling." He mumbled. I looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiled sheepishly. "Well, sort of."

* * *

"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" My mom exclaimed as she slammed the phone onto the counter. I jumped, almost falling out my chair but she didn't notice as she began to rant.

"I mean, the nerve of that man to call me and tell me that I'm in the clear, all happy go lucky. Then he wanted to invite me to lunch tomorrow to celebrate. Then he wants to sound all humble, if he ever was, with 'I mean, if you want to. You-you don't have to. I-I just thought that maybe you would enjoy a nice lunch and stuff…' A good lunch is one without him. Now I have to change my number before that fool starts calling me every other day, trying to change my mind. I just…ugh! Take a damn hint already!" I looked at my mom in shock as she stiffly made tea.

It had been about a year after the disaster of my rehearsal dinner or "The Bloody Masquerade" as the press liked to call it. My mom was arrested that night, in a thousand dollar gown and diamonds. About an hour later, she was released on $10,000 bail and it was the start of a vicious trial for the next ten months with the burning question: was she a murder or a good mother?

The lawyer and prosecutor went back and forth, scrutinizing every detail of what happened that night, the months were engaged and our first engagement. I felt helpless across the country as I went to college (Georgia Tech: good school for automotive engineering and a good city), It was only when I asked my dad if telling the court about the abuse would help, did he consent in me telling them. It strange for me to see the concern in his eyes when he asked me, "Are you sure?"

Maybe it was because, for once, I could tell he wasn't asking to protect his reputation. He was asking if I could handle the public knowing and being seen as a battered woman. But it didn't stop me from saying yes and testifying. When asked why I didn't say anything, I simply said I was scared and that he was going to jail anyway so why did it matter?

After even more scrutinizing, the jury and judge finally made a decision: Mom was not guilty on any charges. No probation, no jail time. She was able to move into her new loft without the press at her door.

And she was fuming.

"He thinks just because he got me out of some trouble that he caused, he's my knight in shining amour." She spat.

"He saved you from a life sentence." I reminded her. She just rolled her eyes as she looked for her teacups.

"If I had to count the number of times I had to save that man, I'd own my own business empire." She said, her mouth stuck in a frown.

"Which you have access to anytime you want it." I pointed out. She gave me an annoyed looked before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you taking his side?" she asked me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not." I said. "I'm just pointing out the facts. I mean, seriously mom, he got you out of jail scot-free, saving you and, while I hate to admit it, redeems himself a little bit. You guys have been married for twenty years. You honestly expected him to go back to the silent treatment without a fight." My mom stopped everything she was doing and looked at me with a serious, grave look, her face suddenly becoming hard lines.

"Your father doesn't fight for anything but a check." She told me. "You knew it. You tried to tell me. And I had to find out the hard way." An awkward silence fell over us. Mom turned away after a moment to pour the now-ready tea.

"…he fought for you." I said feebly. Mom sighed, closing her eyes and set the pot down softly. "I was kind of jealous of that. How he would _always _make sure you that you were okay, that you had what you needed. I know it's weird to hear me say this but…he really did love you, mom. That much I knew."

"And again I ask, why are you saying all this?" She said, her eyes opening. I shrugged and looked down at my cup of tea.

"When I was trying out the dress for my wedding, I guess you could say that me and him had a heart-to-heart." I told her. "He told me that he couldn't be the man he was before. That being the good guy wasn't getting him, getting us, anywhere…that he regrets what happened as he worked to get to the top. And honestly, it makes sense. So much sense that I can't even be mad at him anymore."

"So you're telling me that you forgave him." I chuckled before shaking my head.

"No. I'm saying I no longer care." I said, "He did everything he needed to do to get me to a good point in my life. What's done is done between us. Whether or not I decide to talk to him or try to form a relationship with him again, it doesn't matter. Pretty much everything between us is settled for now. Plus, I think he had something to do with the contract getting broken." My mom looked away, drumming her fingers. I sipped my tea, as she was lost in her thoughts.

"So you're saying that I should go to lunch tomorrow." She said. I stood up and placed my hand on her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at the gesture. I just smiled at her bemused face.

"I'm saying that for once, I'm not trying to affect your decision and I don't think he is either. No ones pushing you to say yes or no. For once, this decision is completely yours."

My mom was speechless as I grabbed my tea and walked out to the balcony of the loft. She followed a few minutes later. We talked for a while but the thoughtful look never let as we did.

* * *

"Yep and now they're…I don't even know. All I know is that mom is talking to him again and dad is ecstatic." Richard laughed before nodding.

"I'm sure," He said. "You know, I don't think that your dad would move on to someone else. He just has that look in his eyes that kind of says 'It's her or nothing, so you better make it work.'" I nodded in agreement. He did have that look.

"You think they'll ever get back together for real?" Richard asked.

"Probably if they're not already. He already sold the mansion." I said. Richard looked at me with a smile.

"Looks like everything is finally coming together." I smiled down at his before kissing his forehead.

"Finally," I said. We laughed in sweet relief, not for the first time these past seven years.

To fill in the blank of what's happened to me since I left, I'll start with this: we didn't run off to get married instantly.

Instead we went back to Charleston. Some of my clothes were there already so I immediately changed out of my horridly gorgeous dress to some pajamas and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to the sounds of the ocean and the smell of breakfast. I smiled softly at Robin as I sat on the counter. Robin automatically placed a plate of bacon and eggs next to me before softly kissing my cheek. We moved to the table and spoke quietly to each other, almost afraid to speak too loud just in case this was a dream. And during this quiet moment, I told him how I felt.

"So you don't want to get married…" Robin said slowly. I nodded.

"It's just too soon." I said. "The whole thing with X and…" I shivered. He stood up, moving to the seat right next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed, closing my eyes.

"I understand." Robin said gently. "Now the real question is, what are we going to do next?"

And that's when the real work began.

By real work, I meant really working on trying to make it work. Because there was something about moving to a whole new city for college and only being eighteen. At first, it was great. Our schools were close to each others (Me at Georgia Tech studying automotive engineering, him at Emory studying business) and we found an apartment right in the middle of both. We relived the honeymoon stage of our relationship, truly starting over for the most part. But the thing about switching to a normal relationship is the fact that normal problems are almost worst than the problems before.

They were the schedule issues, financial issues, and of course the jealousy. We got to the point of not only were we out of the honeymoon stage but we didn't _like_ each other. He was too eager. I was too realistic. At one point, we couldn't help but be at each others throats. Yet, eventually, we worked it out. Somehow-one way or another-we stayed together. We worked it out and…actually became normal. And happy. Now when I think about my relationship, the beginning doesn't seem so real.

And I like that.

And two years later, two things happened: I started a car company with my crew-

"You want jus to help you make a car brand?" Karen asked with excitement. I nodded wearily and she jumped up. "Oh my gosh! We can redo all the cars and have all new designs! Oh, I have these designs I've been dying to try. Hey the garage can be the headquarters! Wait, what's the name?"

I looked at her for a moment before realizing that she was done. Roy looked at her and shook his head.

"I still don't understand how she does all that in one breath." He mumbled before turning to me. "But seriously what would the name be? And how are we going to do it?"

"Well, I was thinking about how our whole operation is a secret…and how maybe we should keep it that way." Roy raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not following."

"I want our name, and our arrival into this business, Encrypted. That way, we'll be such a mystery that they'll have to pay attention." I told them. A thoughtful look fell over everybody's face. Wally was the first to smile.

"I think…I think that could work." He said. "Especially when considering what we've been doing over the years. I mean, think about it, who better to judge road performance that drag racers?"

"Not to mention the tech we've done on our cars for years." One of the twins added. "We could break into this field easy, if only for make-up of the cars."

"All we would need is a cool design." Karen said distractedly. She picked up one of her sketchbooks nearby and quickly flipped to a blank page. Roy looked around at our hopeful faces with a blank expression. He observed us, knowing the power of his decision would truly decide if we do this or not. He turned to me warily.

"Are you sure we can do this?" He asked. I looked him straight in the eye before nodding firmly. He sighed before smiling a little bit. "Then I guess I'm in too." I grinned and hugged him. He reluctantly hugged me back but I felt the hope he was feeling all the same.

"Hey, what do you think of this?" Karen asked, showing u the quick sketch of a logo. The word encrypted was designed in a way that was half Greek lettering and half technological. It created a sleek, intricate design where the words seemed to overlap, almost hiding themselves. I looked around to the vibrant faces of my crew, seeing them, not for the first time, as more than my team. They were my family.

"It's perfect." I said.

And it was.

We worked a year on our first car, the Encrypted Satellite, before sneaking it over into the Geneva Auto Show (which is another story for another time). Despite the illegal entry, the reception went over well. So well that we were offered a Super Bowl Commercial deal. And overnight we were a sensation-

Oh, before I forget, the second big thing that happened: I got married.

It wasn't a huge wedding. Mainly my crew, my aunt and uncle, my mom, Bruce, and Alfred were present. It took place on a beach in Florida on September 5.

"The first day we met," Robin said as explanation when we were first deciding the date. I looked at him in shock. He couldn't be serious. He remembered that?

"You remember what the first day we met?" I asked skeptically. Robin shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, _technically_, we didn't meet that day." He said looking into his drink. I tilted my head in confusion. I tried to think back to my first days in Gotham. I knew he wasn't referring to the time when we first talked on the street when Sienna caught us talking. It had to be before that. But the only time I saw him before that was…a smile automatically spread across my face.

"The first you saw me."

"And the first day you saw me." He added.

"You remember that?" I asked surprised.

"You'd be surprise what I remember." He said. "But yes, I do remember. I'm sure why but I just remember this-and don't call me cheesy for saying this-but I felt a…spark when I saw you. I don't know. The world seemed to stop turning for just one second and you were the only thing I saw, that existed for that one moment. Even when I left, something told me 'Remember this day.' So the first thing I did when I got home was look at calendar and I've remembered ever since." I moved over to him and sat down in his lap. I kissed him deeply before pulling back.

"That was cheesy." I said. He rolled his eyes but smiled down at me, pushing my hair back.

"You say cheesy," He said. "I say love at first sight."

"You really think that?" Robin bit his lip before nodding. I rest my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me automatically to steady me. I snuggled further into his chest, savoring the warmth and comfort of him.

"September 5," I mumbled. "That sounds like a nice date." I felt Robin laugh and he started stroking my hair.

"It sure does." He said. "And someone seems to be a little sleepy."

"Whatever." I said, sitting up. We stared at each other for a moment, not speaking, just…_feeling_. Remembering. It was times like this, I reminded myself how it wasn't too long ago I couldn't have him and how tomorrow he could be gone somehow. And every time, I would lean forward and kiss him. And he would kiss my forehead and wrap his arms tight around me. Then we would just stay there and hold each other for the rest of the night.

"You know, it almost seems like we weren't suppose to meet." Richard said, bringing me back to the present. I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He got a distant look in his eye. "Maybe we weren't suppose to see each other that day. What if your parents didn't send you to Gotham? Or if I wasn't walking through town that morning? What if I did shot you that day you came to Southside? What if I did die in the street that night?

"I mean think about it. We are _lucky_. Everything that happened between us seems so surreal. What if it wasn't suppose to even happen like that. We defied all odds by being together…maybe in a way we weren't suppose to be together. I mean all the factors…they all seem too coincidental." He told me thoughtfully. I shrugged.

"Maybe we just at the right place at the right time." I said.

"Yeah…maybe we were suppose to be a crazy, beautiful mess in the beginning." He said. "But it worked out all that same."

"True." I agreed. Richard smiled at me before clearing his throat. He made a fist and held it close to his mouth like a microphone.

"Now, Mrs. Richard Grayson, after five years of marriage and two kids later," I laughed at Richard's sports announcer imitation. Richard wiggled his eyebrows playfully before holding out his hand out to me. "People often wonder what happened to Romeo and Juliet. But we heard you have the answers."

"I do."

"Perfect! So, Romeo and Juliet are now…"

"Dead and gone." I answered. "Raven and Richard, well, that's a whole new love story." Richard beamed at me, dropping façade.

"I think that's the best answer I've heard yet." He said. He moved away from me, going into the kitchen. I looked out to the sunset and with a satisfied sigh. It amazes me that even after all these years, that sunset has never changed. It's the same stunning, serene scene. And this beach house is still Richard's and I safe haven. Our piece of peace in this crazy world. There were probably fifty things that I had to worry about at the moment-the kids, my business, my parents, how Bruce and Alfred were doing, what did we miss while we were gone-

But that can wait. At least for now.

Richard walked back to me with two glasses of champagne, the signature drink from our wedding. He held out one to me.

"Five years down," He said. "Forever to go." He smiled at me before leaning down and gently kissing me.

"Happy anniversary." I returned his smile, feeling nothing but elation and pure happiness.

"Happy anniversary." I told him. We clinked our glasses together before taking a sip, savoring every part of this moment.

The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of the beach closer than usual-the crashing waves, the seagulls, the sound of the breeze-and I sat up. I looked around and found that I was on the beach beside Richard under a blanket. Then I remembered how we had a midnight picnic last night and fell asleep outside. I smiled as I began to stretch my arms and look up at the sky. It was dawn and the sky only had the barest hint of color in it.

I looked down at Richard. I couldn't help but smile as I realized, again, that this man was my husband, my best friend, and, more than anything, mine. Truly and wholly mine. Just like I was his.

My mind went back to what Richard said yesterday, about how he felt like we weren't suppose to be together and how we were defying all odds by be together. It was strange to think about it like that but it seemed true. We did defied all odds and, even thinking about it now, maybe we weren't suppose to be together. Maybe our love was some crazy beautiful accident that just worked out in the end, despite what fate had to say. Or maybe…

Maybe we were suppose to meet. Maybe I was suppose to have the life I had and him the same so it could lead to this. Maybe if I hadn't found him in Gotham, I would've found him in Atlanta or London or even here in Charleston. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

Or maybe it didn't even matter.

Maybe it didn't matter the possibility that we would've met now or later or never. Maybe it didn't matter that there was some grand scheme by fate to bring us together or keep us apart. Maybe it didn't matter whether we were suppose to fall in love or not. Maybe fate didn't care at all if we fell in love or not.

Because we did meet. And we are together.

And we are in love.

And then I finally realized something.

Fate is fate. We'll never know what was suppose to happen or not. You can't control it or even know what could happen, no matter who you are or what you do or how much you try to avoid it. Good or bad. It won't matter. The only thing you can do is live. Breathe. Savor what you have. Because you'll never know when it's gone or when it has to change.

So as I laid back down, snuggling into Richard's chest once again, I took a deep breath and let myself live in that moment. I closed my eyes and felt the warm heartbeat that matched mine. I listened to sounds of my paradise. I watched the sky bloom into a new day.

I remembered yesterday, hoped for tomorrow, but savored today.

And maybe that's what fate was telling me to do right from the beginning.

* * *

**A/N: **I would like to take this time to thank everybody who read my story and bared with me these past few years. I know it wasn't easy waiting. Thank you to everybody who reviewed my story especially my loyal regulars: dcandthebirds112446, TheDreamChaser, EMELVEExo, crazynerd, Quoththeraven1103, Avalon's Wish, and purplefireforevermore. And I'm home [who was right about the ending way back in chapter 15 ;)] Your reviews were so encouraging and kept me going for the longest so thank you so much for that! I'm grateful for every piece of inspiration you guys gave me during the dark days of writing this.

I am going to miss writing for you guys so much! I'm going to go back and finally edit all the grammer mistakes but other than that, the story is done. The conclusion has finally come.

And I hope you have enjoyed.**  
**


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